The Potter Twins and the Philosopher's Stone
by RJRelentless
Summary: Harry and Rachel think that they're normal children, until a strange man comes to tell them something extraordinary. Harry and Rachel's first year at Hogwarts school.
1. Read this!

_**Read this.**_

Disclaimer: I will only be doing this once. I am not J.K Rowling. If I was, I wouldn't have to write on Fanfiction. She owns all of this story's characters (except for one of two that I'll throw in) and the plot.

As you can tell from the summery, this isn't going to be exactly like The H.P books and films. This is mainly for me to take a break from my usual Final Fantasy X stories. I'll do the first one, The philosopher's stone, and if requested I'll do the others when I can find the time.

The main thing im going to change around is that Harry has a twin sister, Rachel. (I know I used her in My Guardian, but I love her character) She's half an hour older then Harry and is mute. AKA she cant talk. The muggle doctors think this is because of shock as she, like Harry, can remember their parents dying, but it has effected her the most. She is able to talk through her thoughts to Harry and has quite the mouth on her. She is a cheeky, lovable character and I hope you like her just as much as I do.


	2. The Twins who lived

_**The twins who lived**_

On a quite, cold night at privet drive, number four's lights went out, indicating that Vernon and Petunia Dursley were making their way up to bed.

It had been a strange day for Mr Dursley. He kept seeing weird people in cloaks everywhere, kept hearing the dreadful name of "Potter" nearly everywhere he went. He even had to ask his wife if she'd heard anything from her sister lately. They made an oath to pretend that she never even had a sister, but she replied anyway with, "Nothing at all." At that, the conversation was dropped.

Before Mr Dursley went to sleep, he peered out of his bedroom window to see no one on the streets and the lights shinning brightly in the distance. He disappeared from the window and crept into bed.

Only a few minutes later, an elderly man with a snow white beard appeared from round the corner. He was wearing an emerald green cloak and hat and was merrily humming his way down the path of Private drive while looking through his half-moon glasses.

He stopped at number 2 and then pulled out a strange sort of lighter. He clicked a button, and the nearest light to him went out and into the lighter. He clicked it again, and again, and again until it was nearly pitch black. The only light that could be seen was from the moon.

A loan black cat was sitting on a brick wall nearby, watching the man intently. The cat made it's presence known and meowed.

The man turned, eyed the cat suspiciously for a few moments and chuckled lightly to himself. He walked over the brick wall and carefully sat down on it.

"I should have known you would be here," The man started. He looked over to the cat. It had markings around it's face as if it was wearing glasses, it's back was black with the very tip of it's chest as white. "Professor McGonagall."

The cat meowed again. The crack and crunches could be heard from the other side of the street.

The man looked at the cat again, but… it wasn't a cat sitting next to him anymore. It was a stiff looking woman.

She wore a hat, like the man did, a cloak the same colour as his, and was wearing glasses in the same place the tabby's markings were. This was the cat.

"Evening, Professor Dumbledore." The woman called McGonagall got off of the wall and sighed. "I've been sitting there all day…"

"All day? When you could have been celebrating?" Dumbledore said.

"No, nobodies been celebrating, everyone been raving mad. It may be a joyful time, Albus, but you would have thought they would have been more careful. Owls have been flying left right and centre in broad day light, shooting stars over Kent. I heard it all on the muggle news. I bet it was Dedalus Diggle! He never had any sense!"

"Calm yourself, Professor." Dumbledore said gently.

The woman sighed again and then muttered, "Are the rumours true, Albus?"

"Im afraid so, Professor. The good… and the bad."

"So… Lily… a-and James-" McGonagall was cut of by Dumbledore nodding silently. He got up and began walking down the street again.

"And the children?" McGonagall questioned again.

"Hagrid is bringing them." Dumbledore replied calmly.

"Do you really think it's safe? Trusting in Hagrid with something as… as important as this?"

Dumbledore chuckled again and ended with, "I would trust Hagrid with my life, Professor."

In the distance, a white light in the sky could be seen. It was speeding towards the two professors at full sped and ended up crashing into the numerous flowers in front of the houses. The light belonged to a motorbike, a flying motorbike. On this motorbike was a giant of a man with a great bushy beard and hair.

The giant took off the goggles he wore and greeted the two in front of him. "Professor Dumbledore, Sir. Professor McGonagall."

"No problems I trust, Hagrid?" Dumbledore said as Hagrid got down from the bike. Under both his arms, he carried two bundles.

"No Sir. The pair of 'em wen' ter kip as we where flyin' over Bristol." Hagrid said, handing one of the bundles to Dumbledore and the other to McGonagall. "Try not ter wake 'em… there we go."

Both the Professors looked down to what was in the bundles. In the one Dumbledore was holding, was a small baby boy and in the other was a tiny baby girl, both with jet black hair. The boy had a strange scar on his forehead, it was in the shape of a lightning bolt. The girl had a scar as well, but it looked normal. It was going across her face, from her forehead to her cheek. Both scars were fairly new and quite deep. The girl fluttered her eyes open and peered up at her carrier.

"Albus… she's awake." McGonagall said.

"Not to worry, professor." Hagrid said. "Ran in ter young Sirius Black. Said the lass weren't much of a crier."

McGonagall nodded and smiled at the small girl. She cooed and gargled in response.

Dumbledore started making his way down the path again, but turned at number four, the Dursley's residence.

"Albus? Do you really thinks it's safe, leaving them with these people? I've watched them all day, they're the worst sort of muggles imaginable, they really are-"

"The only family they have left." Dumbledore said softly, resting the boy on the doorstep. He gestured for the girl and McGonagall handed her to him.

"These two will be famous. There wont be a child in our world who wont know their names-"

"Exactly." Dumbledore whispered coldly. "They're far better of growing up away from all of that, until they are both ready to take it all in, don't you think so?"

McGonagall just stared at Dumbledore before finally saying, "Yes… Yes, your right."

Dumbledore leant down and placed the girl beside the boy. She peered up at them with light shinning in her eyes. Her fathers eyes.

"Just like James." McGonagall whispered fondly.

From behind, Hagrid sniffled lowly, forbidding his threatening tears to drop.

"There, there, Hagrid. It's not really good bye after all." Dumbledore said.

Hagrid only nodded as Dumbledore withdrew a letter from his cloak.

"I have instructed Mr and Mrs Dursley to explain everything to them when the time comes." Dumbledore said. He bent down once again and placed the letter on one of the bundles. The letter said:

_Mr and Mrs Dursley_

_4 Private Drive_

_Little Whinging_

_Surrey_

He got up again and looked down at the babies.

"I'd better be goin' now. See you in Hogwarts, Professors." Hagrid said as he got back on the motorbike and kicked it into life once again.

"Farewell, Hagrid." Both the professors said.

"I'd better be going too, headmaster." McGonagall said. She said goodbye to Dumbledore and soon the woman was not there, but the tabby. The cat jogged down the street and out of sight.

Dumbledore looked down at the pair one more time and whisper, "Good luck, Harry and Rachel Potter."

He then walked from the house and out of sight.

The baby boy and girl stayed there the rest of the night. The girl stayed wide awake, making sure that nobody would come near them as the images of the previous hours ran through her mind. The boy, however, slept peacefully well until morning and was awakened by the screams of his Aunt Petunia.


	3. The Vanishing glass

_**The vanishing glass**_

"Up! Get up!" Shouted the voice of Aunt Petunia though the cupboard door.

"_Aunt Petunia… Should we?"_ Harry said to his sister, Rachel, through his thoughts.

"_If we don't she'll only get louder, may as well." _Rachel said back.

She stretched as much as she could (Which wasn't much as she was under the small bed Harry was sleeping on in the cupboard) and said, _"Go on then, get up."_

Before Harry could move anywhere though, we could hear from upstairs the banging and jumping from their cousin, Dudley.

"Wake up _Potters! _Were going to the zoo!" Dudley shouted while jumping of the stairs, making dust fall from the staircase and into Harry's eyes.

Harry opened the door enough for Rachel to get up off the floor and sit on the bed, allowing him to get through the door.

Before he could make it to the kitchen, he was shoved back into the cupboard and onto Rachel by Dudley.

"_How we have restrained from murdering him is beyond me." _Rachel said harshly.

"Me too." Harry said, getting up off his sister and going into the kitchen with her soon following.

In the kitchen, Aunt Petunia was kissing Dudley repeatedly on the nose while Uncle Vernon said "Happy Birthday, son!"

Dudley went to hug his dad and Petunia said to the twins, "Why don't you just cook the breakfast and try not to burn anything!"

"Yes Aunt Petunia." Harry said. Rachel just shrugged and did what she was told.

"_I had a funny dream last night." _Harry said to his cousin.

"_I know. I had it as well. Had something to do with a motorbike, and a flying one at that! If only we had one-" _Rachel said back.

"36?! But last year I had 37!" Dudley shouted, interrupting the conversation.

"Yes, but quite a few of them were bigger then last year." Vernon said.

"I DON'T CARE HOW BIG THEY ARE!" Dudley screamed.

"_Spoilt brat." _Rachel said.

"Now, now here's what were going to do. When we go out, were going to buy you two new presents, how's that pumpkin?" Petunia said, trying to calm her son.

Dudley thought about it for a moment and them said, "So then I'd have… 30… 39?"

"38, sweetums."

"Oh. I guess that would be okay." Dudley said. He sat down and said, "I want my breakfast _now_, girl." He said directing this at Rachel.

"_If you want your breakfast, pig, you can have your breakfast." _Said Rachel as she nodded.

She turned around, grabbed the salt and began putting some on. When she was certain no one but Harry was looking, she brought all the snot from her nose and spat it in his food.

"_A masterpiece." _Rachel said, admiring her work.

"_He's going to notice, you know." _Harry said while making Vernon a coffee.

"_He wont notice. I bet you he'll shovel this down his throat within 20 seconds."_

Rachel walked over to Dudley and placed the plate in front of him. As she predicted, he started spooning the lumps of saliva and snot mixed with bacon, sausages and scrambled eggs.

Neither Harry nor Rachel had ever been to the zoo. Their family made it look like they couldn't be trusted. But today they counted themselves as lucky.

As they were just about to get into the car, Uncle Vernon slammed the door just and put his car key in front of Harry's face.

"Im warning you now, kids. Any funny business, any at all, and neither of you will have any meals for a week! Do I make myself clear?"

"Yes, Uncle Vernon." Harry said as Rachel nodded.

He looked at them both and then harshly said, "Get in."

Rachel went in first and was sitting beside Dudley, and Harry was sitting beside Rachel and was looking out the window.

When they got there, they went to the front gates and went in.

"So, where first, Dudley?" Vernon said as he handed his son the map.

"Urm… The reptile house!" Dudley said, pointing as the map at a green snake.

Dudley started off at a run towards the house with the other slowly following.

"_This is going to be fun…" _Rachel said, her thoughts dripping with sarcasm.

They entered the reptile house and found Dudley eyeing a massive cobra, which was asleep.

"Wake up!" Dudley shouted. "Dad, make him move!"

Vernon tapped the glass and said, "Move."

The snake did nothing.

Then Dudley tried. He smashed his huge paw like hands on the glass and shouted, "MOVE!"  
"He's asleep!" Harry said.

"He's boring." Dudley said, moving away from the glass.

"Sorry about him, he doesn't understand what its like. Lying there day after day, watching people press their ugly faces in on you." Harry said to the snake.

"_You do realise your talking to a- whoa." _Rachel said.

The cobra had woken up. It raised its shiny head so it was eye level with the pair of them.

"Can you hear me?" Harry said, dumbfounded.

Slowly, the snake nodded.

"We've never talked to a snake before. Do you talk to people a lot?" Harry asked.

This time, the snake shook it's head.

"Your from Brazil, aren't you? Was it nice there? Do you miss your family?" Harry asked.

The snake poked its head towards the sign on the wall which said, "This animal was breed in the zoo."

"I see." Harry said as he brought his head back to look at the snake. "That's us as well. We never knew our parents either." Harry said, gesturing to Rachel, who shook her head.

"MUMMY! DAD, COME HERE! You wont believe what the snake is doing!" Dudley said, shoving Rachel into Harry, knocking them both to the floor.

Rachel got up and was about to punch Dudley right on the nose, but as he was flat up against the glass, he fell through it. No… the glass wasn't there anymore! It had vanished.

Dudley landed right next to the snake in the water. The snake began to more, taking the opportunity to leg it. It raised it's head over the bars and landed in front of Harry.

"Thanksssss." The snake said.

"A-Anytime." Harry stuttered.

Then, the snake began to move again. It slithered out of the reptile house and people began screaming and shouted that there was a snake loose.

When Aunt petunia and Uncle Vernon came back to the snake. They were surprised to see their son in the exhibit instead.

Dudley tried to get back, but his hands were stopped by the glass. It had come back.

"Dudley! My darling boy!" Petunia said. "Somebody help him!"

Harry was openly laughing and so was Rachel. But Uncle Vernon wasn't.

He looked at them and smiled wickedly.

They hadn't had any beatings yet, which was a surprise.

They got into the house, Dudley wrapped in a huge towel, and Harry and Rachel were frog marched into the house.

Uncle Vernon closed the door and grabbed Harry by his hair and Rachel by her ear.

"What happened?" Vernon asked.

"I don't know! One minute the glass was there and then it was gone, it was like magic!" Harry yelled through the pain.

Vernon let Rachel go and pointed to the cupboard. She understood this and squeezed under the bed, and uncle Vernon shoved Harry on to the bed. He slammed the cupboard door shut and said through the door, "There's no such think as magic!"

There was silence for a few more seconds until Rachel said, _"Why? It's not fair, they always blame us…"_

"_No use complaining about it, it wont change them."_

"_Still."_

For the little 'stunt' they pulled, Harry and Rachel, like they were promised, didn't have any proper meals for a week and had to spend the whole time in their cupboard.

By the time they were allowed out again, it was half way through the summer holidays. The twins spent as much time as possible out of the house from then on, only returning when it got dark.

"_Do you think we could run away, get away from here?" _Rachel asked one day when they were as the park.

"And go where?" Harry replied.

"_Anywhere, as long as it's not with them." _

"To be honest, we should count ourselves as lucky. We could have been deserted, or put in a home with hardly any food or a place to sleep. I know they treat us like dirt, but what we've got is better then nothing."

Harry was saying to try and convince her, which didn't work, and to try and convince himself, which also didn't work.

They really should have counted their blessing, be grateful, but it was extremely hard to do that with a family like theirs.

Both of them would have given anything to go away, only, they didn't have anything.

Little did they know, the answer to their prayers was only a few days away.


	4. The letters from no one

_**The letters from no one**_

The following days didn't change, despite Dudley's visit to the snakes bed.

The previous day, the Dursleys had gone to London to buy Dudley his new uniform. He was going to Uncle Vernon's old school, Smeltings, while Harry and Rachel were going to a local comprehensive school, Stonewall high. They had to spend the day with Mrs Figg, who had broken her leg a few days before hand.

The next day, Dudley was parading around in his uniform for the family. The school gave out these things called Smeltings stick. People in Smetlings hit everyone with it when the teacher isn't looking, supposed to build character.

On this particular day, Harry was sent to get the post (after nearly being beaten to death by Dudley). He bent down and picked up the letter's and post cards.

"_What have they got? Bills? Payments?" _Rachel asked from the kitchen.

"_Doesn't look like it. One for Aunt Petunia, one from Marge, one for Aunt Petunia and… one for you?" _Harry said back.

"_For me?" _Rachel asked, obviously shocked, neither her or Harry ever got letters.

"_Yeah… and one for me!" _

Harry held the two letters in from of him. Yes, they were for him and his sister.

_Miss R.L. Potter_

_The cupboard under the stairs_

_4 Private Drive_

_Little Whinging_

_Surrey_

_Mr H.J. Potter_

_The cupboard under the stairs_

_4 Private Drive_

_Little Whinging_

_Surrey_

They had letters! Harry had to stop himself from shouting in excitement. The letters were identical. He turned them both over and examined the logo. It had a big H in the middle and to the top right was a Snake, to the bottom right was a Bird, to the bottom left was some sort of badger and in the top left hand corner was a lion.

He grabbed the other letter and re-entered the kitchen. He handed Uncle Vernon the letters, except for the two twin ones. Dudley, however, noticed this.

Just as Harry was about to hand Rachel her letter, Dudley snatched them both out of Harry's hands.

"Dad! They've got letters, they've got letters!" Dudley shouted as he ran to his father.

Dudley handed the letters to Vernon.

"Who'd be writing to you?" Uncle Vernon said with a hearty chuckle.

He flipped Rachel's letter over and examined the logo.

Aunt Petunia, seeing all the havoc, came and examined the letter as well. When she saw the logo, she went as pale as a ghost, as did Uncle Vernon.

They looked at each other and then pointed at the two children. "Out." Vernon said.

"I want my letter." Harry said. Rachel stood up as if to say 'so do i.'

"Get out!" Vernon shouted. The 3 did what they were told and got out… of the room. They stayed by the door and listened to the conversation.

"Look at the address. How could they possibly know where they sleep? Would they be watching the house?"

"Spying more like." Vernon grumbled. "We'll ignore them. They'll give up eventually."

They agreed that it would be the best thing to do and called the other back in.

"I want my letter back-" Harry started, but was cut off.

"You cant have it back, either of them, they were written to you by mistake, I've burned them."

"But, they had 'the cupboard under the stairs' on it-"

"Quite! Now, er… about this cupboard. We've been thinking that your both getting a bit big in there. We think it would be best to move into Dudley's second bedroom."

Harry and Rachel just stared at each other before Harry asked, "Why?"

"Don't ask questions! Take your stuff and go upstairs!" Yelled Uncle Vernon, angry at the fact Harry had asked a question, since they were forbidden to be asked, especially by one of the twins.

They did as they were told and gathered their things from the small cupboard and headed upstairs.

"What do you think was in those letters?" Harry whispered.

"_Don't know, but whatever they were, it was something about us. And it scared them, even more of a reason to see what they were." _Rachel said back.

They entered the room and wasn't surprised by what they saw.

It was, of course, the smallest room in the house, but it was able to squash two beds in there, with a small bedside table in the middle of the two. The shelves contained broken items and books.

"_Happy days."_ Rachel said as she flopped down on the bed on the left.

The next morning, everyone was downstairs. Uncle Vernon, by the looks of it, was trying his best to be kind to Harry and Rachel, making them sit down as Petunia done the breakfast and Dudley got the post.

"There are more!" Dudley shouted from the hallway. He rushed in with a few post cards and letters from friends, family and various companies, and held high in the air were 4 letters, 2 for each twin.

Harry and Rachel made a jump for the letters, but uncle Vernon was faster. He grabbed the letters and examined each of them carefully.

He looked at the twins and just smiled coldly.

"Can we have them, please?" Harry asked desperately.

Uncle Vernon shook hit head and ripped them up, right in front of them.

The next day, more came. More them 5 letters each came for them in the morning. The next day it was even more, and again, and again, until, It reached Sunday.

Everyone was in the living, doing nothing but eating biscuits and watching the television.

Harry and Rachel were giving out the chocolate bourbons and the custard creams when Uncle Vernon said, "Fine day Sunday. In my opinion, best day of the week, why is that Dudley?"

Dudley, his eyes glued to the telly, shrugged his shoulders.

"_Stupid idiot." _Said Rachel as she sat down.

"Because there's no post on Sunday's." Harry claimed glumly.

"Right you are, Harry. No post of Sundays." Uncle Vernon laughed triumphantly and then ranted about how good it was that no mail was coming on this blissful day.

During his rant, however, Rachel noticed something flutter outside. She pulled the curtain back so only she could see and nearly dropped her plate.

"_Harry! Come look at this!" _

"_Whats up-… wow."_

Nearly everywhere you could see outside, was covered in owls. Barn owls, screech owls, snowy owls, all of them. Perched on the car or on chimney's.

_BANG!  
_Harry and Rachel turned quickly and felt rumbling beneath their feet.

"_An earthquake?" _Rachel asked

"We don't get them here." Harry replied.

The rumbling continued, but got louder and more violent. Then, through the fireplace, hundreds of letter shaped objects came whizzing out of the fireplace and into the living room.

Aunt Petunia and Dudley were screaming and holding on to each other while Vernon was trying to get out of his seat to grab Harry and Rachel, who were bouncing around like rabbits trying to get of at least two letters. Rachel had made a belt for the hallway shouting, _"I've one of each, c'mon!"_

Harry grabbed one of his own, and then ran after her. Harry over took her and ran halfway up the stairs before hearing a **thud!**

"_Owwww! My nose!" _Rachel shouted.

Harry turned and saw Rachel on the bottom of the stairs, Uncle Vernon grasping her ankle and Rachel's face on the corner of the stair. She raised her head and found a red liquid gushing from her nose.

"Give her here! Don't let her ruin the carpet!" Shouted Aunt Petunia as she grabbed Rachel and ran to the kitchen.

Vernon then ran up to the top of the stairs and grabbed Harry.

"Let go of me, they're our letters! Let go!"

"Were going away! FAR AWAY! WERE THEY CANT FIND US!" Roared Uncle Vernon.

He grabbed the letter in Harry's hand and dragged him down the stairs. Harry retreated to the kitchen where Aunt Petunia has treating Rachel's broken nose.

"You alright?"

"_Still hurts, but I wont die."_

As soon as Rachel's nose wasn't bleeding anymore, they got into the car and drove. For hours and hours.

They stopped a few times, every time they stopped somebody would hold up a letter saying either one of their names. The next time they stopped, Uncle Vernon came back holding a long package. He got into the car and went off again.

Eventually, the journey came to a complete stop by the coast.

"Come on, every one out, were here." Uncle Vernon said gleefully. Obviously he thought he had found a place nobody would be able to get to. How wrong he was.


	5. The Keeper of the keys

_**The keeper of the keys**_

In the distance, they could just make out the figure of a small island. On the island was a type of tower.

They got there by rowing in a tiny little rowing boat and all were glad that the journey finally stopped.

In the tower, there was nothing. Downstairs and a very old sofa and upstairs was a bed for 2, which were already taken by Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon. Which meant the sofa was for Dudley, and Harry and Rachel were on the floor.

Neither of them had kept track of what day or even month it was, but when Dudley shouted he missed one of his favourite shows, they knew.

"_I cant believe we forgot our birthday!" _Rachel shouted.

Later that night, it was 11:57. Everyone was in bed or under sheets. Rachel and Harry were on the floor beside one another, building and designing their birthday cake… in the dust on the floor.

They had just finished put 11 candles on the cake and Rachel was eying Dudley's wrist watch.

"_5…4…3…2…1… Happy birthday. Make a wish." _Harry and Rachel said together. They blew out the candles until…

_**BANG!**_

Dudley got up off of the sofa at the noise. It was coming from the door.

_**BANG!**_

Harry dragged Rachel up off the floor and hid around the corner. Somebody was trying to get in! Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia were coming down the stairs, Uncle Vernon holding a rifle in his hands.

"Who's there?" He quivered.

The door finally gave in and crashed to the floor. The figure stood there was a giant one. The giant came into the room and said, "Sorry bout' tha'."

He turned around and lifted the door back up and into the frame. At this point, Harry and Rachel were making sure they were out of sight.

"I demand that you leave at once Sir, you are breaking and entering!" Shouted Uncle Vernon.

The giant turned round and walked towards Vernon and Petunia.

"Dry up, Dursley, you great prune!" The giant said. He grabbed the front of the gun and bent it upward, making sure it would be able to fire any more bullets again.

The giant looked around and his eyes fell on Dudley.

"I 'avnt seen you since you were a baby, Harry, but you're a bit more long them I would've expected, particularly around the middle." The giant said. He looked around again and said, "Where's your sister?"

"I-I'm not Harry…" Dudley said.

"_Do you think we should come out? He wants to see us." _Rachel said. Harry nodded and they from their hiding place.

"I am." Harry said. "And this is Rachel."

"Of course you are." The giant said. "Got something for ya. 'Fraid I migh' of sa' on it at some point, but espect It'll taste fine jus' the same." The giant pulled out a small cardboard box and handed it to Harry. "Baked it myself, words an' all." The giant finished, looking quite pleased with himself.

"Harry opened the box to reveal a cake with pink icing on the top and in green icing:

"Happy birthday Harry and Rachel."

"Thank you." Harry said, and Rachel nodded.

"Not everyday your young man and woman turn 11 now, is it?" The giant said. He sat down on the sofa and brought out a pink umbrella. He pointed it at the empty fireplace and fire started shooting for the tip of the umbrella and into the fireplace. Soon there was a roaring fire going which left the twins speechless.

"Excuse me, but who are you?" Harry asked.

"Rubius Hagrid. Keeper of keys and grounds at Hogwarts. But I escpec' you know all bout' Hogwarts."

"Sorry, but no." Harry said as Rachel shook her head. She place the box on the side of the chair and stood with her brother.

"No? Don' you ever wonder where yer Mum and Dad learn' it all?" Hagrid said.

"_What the heck is he on about?" _Rachel said.

"Learnt what?" Harry asked.

"Learnt what? Learnt what?!" Hagrid got up and walked towards Petunia and Vernon.

"Are you meanin' ter tell me, that' these two don' no nothin', abou' anythin'?!"

They both stood there shacking and then Hagrid turned round again and said, "Well, I weren't expecting tha'. Guess I'll 'ave ter tell ya."

"I forbid it!" Yelled Uncle Vernon, suddenly finding his voice again.

"An' what are you gunna do bout' it? You're a wizard Harry, an Rachel, yer a witch."

"What?" Harry said.

Rachel herself raised her eyebrows in confusion at the statement.

"A witch an' a wizard. An thumpin' goodens I'd wager, once yer'v been trained up a lil'"

"But I cant be a wizard. Im Harry, just Harry."

"Well, just Harry, 'ave yer ever made anythin' happen? Anythin' yer couldn't explain when yer were angry or scarred?"

"_The reptile house, with the glass." _Rachel said. They both looked at each other and then back at Hagrid.

He got up and withdrew two letters from his coat pocket. He handed one to Harry and the other to Rachel.

Harry ripped the envelope off and read aloud,

"_Dear Mr Potter, we are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts school of witchcraft and wizardry. Term begins on 1 september. We await your owl by no later then 31 July._

_Yours sincerely,_

_Minerva McGonagall_

Rachel's basically said the same thing.

"They will NOT be going, I tell you! We swore when we took them in we would have stopped all this rubbish!" Uncle Vernon shouted.

"You knew? You knew all along and you never told us!?"

This time, it was Aunt Petunia to speak. "Of course I knew… how could you not. My perfect sister being who she was. My mother and father were so… _proud _the day she got here letter. We have a witch in the family, isn't it wonderful? I was the only one to see her for what she was… a _freak! _And then she met that _Potter, _and them she had you two and I knew you were going to be the same, just as strange, just as… abnormal. And then, if you please, she went and got herself blown up, and we got landed with you."

"Blown up? You told us that our parents died in a car crash, and that's where we got these!" Harry shouted, pointing to his scar.

"A car crash? A car crash killed Lily and James Potter?!" Hagrid roared.

"We had to say something." Aunt Petunia said.

"It's an outrage!"

"They will NOT be going." Uncle Vernon repeated.

"And I expect a great muggle like yourself is gunna stop em' are ya? These two have had their names down since they were born. Their goin' ter the finest school of witchcraft and wizardry in ter world AND they'll be under the finest headmaster that Hogwarts has ever seen, Albus Dumbledore."

"I will not pay for some crackpot old fool to teach him magic tricks!" Uncle Vernon replied.

This is where Hagrid snapped it. He raised his umbrella on front of the Dursley's faces and said, "Never. Insult. Albus. Dumbledore, In, Front, Of, Me." He then turned his eyes to the right and saw that the cake had gone. He scanned the room and saw that Dudley had taken it and was now digging into the cake.

With a flick of the umbrella, Dudley had a tail coming out of his behind. He reached back and screamed. Both his parents were screaming and were rushing him up stairs.

Harry and Rachel rather enjoyed the sight, thought it was amusing.

"I'd appreciate if you wouldn' tell anyone at Hogwarts bout' tha'. Strickly speakin' I ain' s'pose ter be doin' magic."

"Why not?"

"Well, got meself… urr, expelled."

Both Harry and Rachel nodded and Hagrid pulled out a watch from his pocket.

"We'd bes' be off." He went to the door again and kicked it down. "Unless you'd rather stay, of course." With that he went through the door and left them to their thoughts.

"What do you think, Rach?" Harry asked.

"_I say we go. This Hogwarts place cant be worst then here, with them." _Rachel replied as she headed towards the door.

Harry looked up towards the stairs and eventually followed her.


	6. Diagon Alley

_**Diagon Alley**_

The next day was quite strange, but very exciting. Hagrid said they were going to a place called Diagon Alley, where everyone gets their wizarding things. But first they had to go to the Leaky Cauldron and Gringotts.

As they walked down the path towards the Leaky Cauldron, Harry read aloud the enclosed list on the back of his letter.

"All students must be equipped with:

A wand

1 standard size 2 pewter cauldron

1 set of glass phials

1set of brass scales

1 telescope

And they bring if they desire either a owl, a cat, or a toad. Can we find all this in London?"

"If you know where to go." Hagrid said quietly.

They entered a small pub, but it was packed with people.

"Ah, Hagrid! Usual I presume?" Said the barman.

"No thanks, Tom. Im on official Hogwarts business. Just helping young Harry and Rachel here buy their school supplies." Hagrid finished with putting his hands on their shoulders.

The barman Tom swallowed and said, "Bless my soul. It's Harry and Rachel Potter! The Potter twins!"

The whole pub went silent them and looked around at the two shocked children.

"Welcome back, Mr Potter." Said a man. He shook Harry's hand and then shook Rachel's. "Welcome back."

A woman came from the corner and said, "Doris Crockford, Potters. I cant believe I am meeting you at last."

"Oh, Hello Professor. I didn't see you there!" Hagrid pulled the twins away from the crown and stood them in front of a pale man with a purple turban. "Harry, Rachel, this is professor Quirrell. He will be your Defence against the dark arts teacher, at Hogwarts."

"_Defence against the what what?" _Rachel asked, but Harry ignored her and shook hands with their future teacher. "Nice to meet you." He shook hand with Rachel and said,

"F-Frightfully f-fascinating sub-bject. Not t-that you n-need it, huh, Potters?"

"Well, must be going now. Lots ter buy." Hagrid said as he started nudging the twins out of the pub.

"Bye." Harry said to countless people.

"See, kids? Your famous!"

"But why are we famous Hagrid? All those people, how did they know who we were?"

"Not sure im the right person to tell yer that ter be honest." Hagrid said. He stopped in front of a brick wall and began to tap certain ones.

Soon, the ground started to rumble and the brick wall started to move, brick by brick.

Then, once the brick wall was gone, neither Harry or Rachel could believe what they were seeing.

"Welcome to Diagon Alley." Hagrid said gleefully.

In front of the 3 were so many people it was a puzzle how they were going to get through to all the shops. That was a thing as well. So many shops.

"Righ', gotta go get yer money first. Gringotts."

"Gringotts?" Harry asked.

"Yeah, the wizard bank. No safer place, mainly because it's run by Goblin's but they also say they got a dragon there, but I reckon that's all rubbish."

"Goblins?!" Harry exclaimed.

"Yeah. That's why it's so safe. You'd 'av to be mad to try and rob Gringotts. Goblin's 'ad the whole building build underground. Different floors, see? Then there's the magical enchantments and such. Cleaver as they come Goblins, but not the most friendliest beasts. Better stay close."

The twins nodded and entered Gringotts with Hagrid in the middle of them. Hagrid was right. The Goblins weren't very nice. Or at least they didn't look nice. They had very wrinkly skin and were very short.

They continued to walk down until they got to a podium with another Goblin sitting on it. Hagrid cleared his throat and said, "Mr and Miss Potter would like to make a withdrawal."

The Goblin stopped what it was doing and looked down at them. "And do Mr and Miss Potter have their key?" His voice was very raspy which went through Rachel, sending chills down her spine.

"Wait a minute… got it here somewhere…" Hagrid said as he searched through his many pockets.

"Aha! There's the lil' devil." Hagrid said and he slammed the key down on the podium. "Oh, and there's something else as well."

Obviously this letter was very important, because Hagrid didn't even have to search his pockets to find it.

"Professor Dumbledore gave me this." Hagrid said as he handed the Goblin the letter.

Hagrid dropped his voice to a low whisper and said, "It's about you know what, in vault you know which."

"Very well." The Goblin said. It called another Goblin over to them and gave them the key. "Take Mr and Miss Potter and their… Guardian, to their vault."

Soon, they were all in a cart and were speeding down into the underground.

"_No wonder you'd have to be mad to rob this place…" _Rachel said.

The place was huge and the Goblins had defiantly made sure there was only one way in and out.

They came to a stop and Hagrid was more then happy to get out of the cart. The Goblin guided them to a funny looking door and said, "Vault 687. Key, please."

Hagrid handed the Goblin the key, who stuck it in the door and fiddled around with the lock. The lock gave a happy _**click**_ and swung open, revealing hundreds or gold, silver and bronze coins.

"Didn't think yer Mum an' Dad would leave you with nothin' now, did yer?" Hagrid asked.

"_Well, I sure did." _Rachel said.

"_Me too." _Harry replied.

They agreed to take 50 golden coins each and then got back into the cart. They speed down the track again and came to another stop.

"Vault 713. Lamp, please." The Goblin said, getting out of the cart.

This door looked different from the others, more difficult.

"What's in there Hagrid?" Harry asked.

"Can' tell yer Harry. Hogwarts business, very secre'."

The Goblin didn't need a key to open this door. It only put it's hand on the door and the clicking went off and seemed like it wasn't going to stop.

When the door opened, Hagrid went inside and got a small dusty looking package from the table.

He came back out and put it in his inside pocket. "Best not to mention this to anyone, Harry, Rachel."

"_Do you think he knows that I cant talk?" _Rachel said as she nodded with her brother as Hagrid's request.

"_If he does, he acts like he doesn't." _Harry said back as they got into the cart.

Soon they were out of Gringotts and rearing to spend their new-found money.

They got all the necessary books and equipment, and then had to go into Madam Malkin's robed for all occasions were they met a very snobby boy, also going of the Hogwarts.

"_I hope im not in many of his classes… and what's a Hufflepuff?" _Rachel asked as they exited the shop.

Harry shrugged his shoulders and then looked down at his list again.

"_Yes! Only the wand left! I've been looking forward to this one." _Harry said.

Rachel couldn't say anything really as she smiling herself silly, clearly excited too.

"We still need our wands." Harry said to Hagrid.

"Well then, yer want Ollivanders, there aint no place better. Why don't you go along there an' get 'em? I just need to go somewhere, wont be long." Hagrid replied. He pointed towards a large shop at the end of the alley.

They went into the vacant shop and Rachel immediately didn't like the eerie atmosphere.

"_Call for somebody, for God sake."_

"Hello?" Harry called. No answer. "Hello?" He said a bit louder. There was the sound of scraping up ahead and both of them jumped as a elderly man on a ladder came into view.

He eyed them both and said, "I wondered when I'd be seeing you two. Mr Potter, Miss Potter." The man greeted.

"I am Ollivander, wand extraordinaire, at your service." Mr Ollivander said and he bowed a little.

"_I like him." _Rachel claimed.

"You, Mr Potter, have your father's look. Oh, but you mother's eyes, yes. And you, Miss Potter, you have your mother's look, but your fathers eyes. Strange how things work out, isn't is?"

Mr Ollivander looked over to Harry and traced the line of his scar with his fingertip.

"Im very sorry to say that I sold the wand that done it. Yew. 13 and a half inches, powerful."

Rachel swallowed hard and Ollivander continued, "Your father favoured a Mahogany wand, 11 inches, excellent for transfiguration. Your mother, though, preferred willow. 10 and a quarter. Perfect for Charm work." Mr Ollivander then stepped away from them and went to the back of the shop. "But really, it's the wand that chooses the wizard." He muttered to himself.

He came back a few minutes later with two boxes. He gave one to Harry and the other to Rachel.

The one Harry had said 'Beechwood. Dragon heartstring. 9 inches. Flexible.'

The one Rachel had said 'Hazel. Phoenix feather. 10 inches. Unyeilding.

They both took the wands out, but as soon as he could, Mr Ollivander snatched the wand away from Harry.

"Apparently not. Miss Potter, just give it a wave." She did as she was told, but nothing happened. He took that wand away from her as well.

He went back and came with another two wands.

He handed Harry his wand and said, "Maple and phoenix feather, 7 inches. Quite whippy."

Harry tried to wave the wand around again, but like last time, Mr Ollivander snatched it away.

"No, defiantly not. Miss Potter, Cedar and Dragon core, 12 and a half inches, unbending. Go on." The wand had a blackish looking handle with red and brown spiralling down the hilt. The rest of the wand was a mix of metallic purple and brown.

Rachel took the wand in her right hand and felt… warm. She didn't know how else to describe it. She waved the wand again, and sparks of red and gold came rushing out of the tip.

"Very well done! I can see you will make quite the match." Mr Ollivander said , taking the wand away from her and placing it back in the box and putting it on the desk.

"_Congratulations." _Harry said.

"_Thanks."_

"Now, Mr Potter… What shall I… ahhh…" Mr Ollivander said as he went back into the shop. He came across a very old looking box. He brought it out and said aloud, "I wonder."

He looked back to see both of the children looking at him. He went back to them and took out the wand and said, "Holly, Phoenix feather, 11 inches, nice and supple."

When Harry grasped the wand, he felt the warmth through his fingertips, as did Rachel. He waved the wand and, like Rachel's, sparks came from the wand, the same colours as before.

"Bravo! Yes, Bravo! Curious though, very curious…" Mr Ollivander said, but he trailed off.

"Sorry, but what's curious?"

"I remember every wand I've ever sold, Mr Potter," Mr Ollivander started. He gestured for Harry's new wand and put it in the box. "It so happens that the Phoenix, who's tail feather resides in your wand, gave another feather. Just one other. It is curious that you should be destined for this wand, when it's brother, gave you that scar. And yours.

"13 and a half inches. Yew. Curious. The wand chooses the wizard, Mr Potter. I think we can expect great things from you two. After all, He-who-must-not-be-named did great things. Terrible, yes. But great." He ended gravely.

Harry and Rachel were a little shaken by this, but nether the less, paid for their new wands and exited the shop, waiting for Hagrid to get them.

They eventually found him coming out of the 'Eeylops Owl Emporium' clutching a cage with a snowy white owl inside.

"Happy Birthday!" Hagrid said as they reached him.


	7. To Hogwarts

_**To Hogwarts**_

The next day was an amusing one. Hagrid had only just realised about Rachel's problem, and kept quite for most of the day, embarrassed that he had been asking her all these questions beforehand.

Eventually, he dropped them back off at Private Drive, much to the dismay of the Dursley's.

They were given their tickets to platform 9 and three quarters, and without another word, Hagrid was gone.

Both Harry and Rachel agreed it would be a good idea to stay out of the way and stay in their room, pouring over their new books.

A few days before September the 1st, Rachel said, "_What do you think of the name 'Hedwig'?"_

"_Hedwig?"_

"_Yeah, for the owl."_

Harry pondered on the thought for a while and then said, "I think it's a great name."

He looked over at the cage to see Hedwig sleeping peacefully, rats and mice littering the cage base.

"_Good thing Aunt Petunia doesn't come up here to clean anymore, she'd freak." _Rachel said happily.

The night before they had to be on the Hogwarts express (the name of the train), they went downstairs into the living room to see the Dursley's watching some old sitcom.

They needed a way to get to King's cross station, and that was in London and Rachel was against walking.

"Uncle Vernon?" Harry asked.

Vernon looked at the two children in the hallway.

"We were wondering if you could give us a lift to London tomorrow, to King's cross station? Its where the train is."

Uncle Vernon considered this for a few moments and eventually said alright, claiming that they had to go to London anyway, to get rid of Dudley's tail before he went to Smeltings.

The next morning, Harry got up extra early to make sure that he had double checked everything. When he finished his, he checked Rachel's and then his again. Then he just paced around the room, waiting for Rachel and the Dursley's to wake up.

"_Will you please go back to…to… sleep…" _Rachel said during a yawn., while covering a pillow over her head.

"No, it's only 6:30, im too excited!" Harry squealed.

"_Excited? For what?" _Rachel asked, raising the pillow off of her face.

Harry went to the calendar on the door and shoved it in her face. "Don't tell me you forgot? September 1st?"

Rachel's eyes went wide and she sat up in bed with a smile from ear to ear. _"Hogwarts!"_

"_Exactly, get up!_

It took a while for the Dursley's to wake, and when they did they walked around slowly.

Finally, everything was brought from downstairs and into the car and they were all loaded in.

"_What do you think it'll be like? The train, I mean." _Rachel asked as they rounded into King's cross.

"_Hagrid said it was Red with 'Hogwarts express' in the front. Cant be that hard to spot." _Harry said back. They soon parked, got everything onto a trolley and watched as their wardens drove off and then turned and walked into the station.

"_Big red train… big red train… nope, don't see a red train here anywhere, H." _Rachel said.

"Hang on." Harry said. He pushed his trolley to a nearby man and asked, "Excuse me, sir. Could you tell me where we could find platform nine and three quarters?"

The man looked at Harry as if he was on crack and replied, "Nine and three quarters? Think your being funny, do ya?" The man walked away muttering to himself about how it must have been some kind of a joke, as 3 other people had asked him that already.

"_Well? What do we do now?"_

"- Packed with Muggles of course! Come on, platform nine and three quarters this way!" Said a plump red headed woman. Behind her were four boys, all with the same colour hair.

Rachel started walking towards them and Harry slowly and shyly followed.

"Come on Percy, you first." Said the woman. The eldest looking off all the boys stepped forward in front of a brick wall and ran straight at it.

Rachel closed her eyes, expecting there to be a huge crash, but opened her eyes just in time to see the back of Percy's head materialize through the wall.

"Fred, you next!" Said the woman again, but this time impatiently.

"He's not Fred, I am!" Said one of the twin boys.

The boy next to him said, "Honestly woman, you call yourself our mother."

The woman, now looking awfully ashamed, said, "Oh… sorry George."

George walked up in front of the wall and said, "Im only joking, I am Fred." And then legged it to the wall. Soon after his twin followed. If the woman hadn't had a little girl attached to her hand, she probably would have followed and spanked them.

"Excuse me!" Harry yelled from behind. The woman turned and said, "What is it, dear?"

"Urm, could you tell us… how to…" Harry started, going red with embarrassment.

The woman finished for him by saying, "How to get onto the platform?"

Both Harry and Rachel nodded and the woman said, "Not to worry dears, it's Ron's first time to Hogwarts as well." She gestured to the last red headed boy and he nodded to the twins, who nodded back.

"All you have to do it walk straight at the wall between platforms nine and ten. Better do in a bit of a run if your nervous."

"Good luck." Said the small red headed girl.

"_Ladies first." _Harry said as he stepped back, giving Rachel some room.

"_Your such a gentleman." _Rachel replied, her voice dripping with sarcasm.

She walked in front of the wall and tried to get it at the proper angle, then took a deep breath and ran.

She didn't really feel anything. She just felt a little cold. She stopped suddenly and went into a walk. She found herself on a new platform with the big red steam train in the middle, people all over the place.

She stood back a few paces and let Harry come through. He stood transfixed at the train as well and they began to walk towards it. In front of the train was the green sign saying 'Hogwarts express' and the sign over their heads said 'Platform nine and three quarters'.

They smiled at each other and quickened the pace towards the train. A few people looked at them strangely, noticing the scars the twins had. A few people had even come to the conclusion of, "Do you think it's them? The Potter's?" Two of these people, were the red headed twins, who didn't even ask 'Do you think it's them?' They just shouted 'We just saw the Potter twins!'

Their mother quietened them down and said, "Don't be so rude! No wonder they were alone, I was wondering. The boy was ever so polite when he asked about the platform…"

"Who cares about that?" Said Fred/George. "Do you reckon they remember what you-know-who looked like?"

The woman became very stern and pointed her finger at them. "Don't you breathe a word about that monster in front of either of them, you understand me? Like they need reminding of that on their first day of school."

You-know-who was a man called Voldemort. Hagrid had told them the day they went to Diagon alley. As Hagrid told them the story, the all to familiar images flashed through Rachel's mind, making her sink in her seat.

They were actually glad, someone understood how they could be feeling and actually left them alone.

After they put their things on the train, they went into it and found an empty compartment at the back of the train.

"_So? What do you think the school will be like?" _Rachel asked.

"Dunno. It'll be better then the Dursley's, I know that for a fact."

"_Yeah. I hope Dudley gets a taste of his own medicine and gets bullied in Smellingtons." _Rachel replied as they plopped herself down on the seat nearest the compartment door. Harry himself sat next to the window and watched at the tree's and fields went by as Rachel sat and read her book; Hogwarts: A History.

"_Looks like there are four houses. Ravenclaw, for the smartest and brightest, Hufflepuff, for the loyal and kind, Slytherin for the ambitious and detirmined and Gryffindor for the bravest and strongest. Which one do you want to be in?"_

"Well, I know I wont be in Ravenclaw, that certain." Harry said pitifully.

"_Oh c'mon, Harry. I didn't ask which one you wouldn't be in, I asked which one you'd-" _Rachel started but didn't get the chance to finish. The compartment door opened suddenly, making her jump and fall off the seat. She got back onto the seat like nothing happened and looked who was at the door.

"Are you okay?" Said the youngest boy from the red headed family. Rachel nodded, her face full of embarrassment, and stuck her nose back in her book.

"Do you mind? Everywhere else is full." He said. He gestured towards the seat opposite Harry, asking if he could have a seat.

"Not at all!" Harry said, delighted someone would actually want to sit next to him, besides his twin that is.

The boy took the seat and said, "Im Ron, by the way. Ronald Weasley." He stretched forth his hand to Harry and Harry shook it. He then stretched his hand to Rachel as Harry said, "Im Harry Potter, and this is Rachel Potter." Ron's hand stopped on the way to her and his jaw hit the deck. Rachel had to lean over and shack it before getting back into her book. She was reading about the makers of Hogwarts, how they named the houses and how they put people into each house.

"So it's true? I thought Fred and George were playing one of their pranks?" Ron said, his hand still stretched.

Rachel just shook her head as she flipped the page.

"'Fraid not." Harry said.

Ron finally snapped out of it and leaned back into his seat and then eyed Rachel's face, then Harry's.

"Well, I can see she's got that scar, but what about you?" Ron asked.

Harry brought his hand up and pushed his fringe out of the way, revealing the lightning bolt scar on his forehead.

"Wicked." Ron whispered. "I heard you two went to live with Muggles, what were they like?"

"Horrible." Harry answered.

"_I think that's an understatement, H." _Rachel said.

Harry grunted in agreement and Ron asked Rachel, "Did you like them at all?"

Rachel just shook her head. This made Ron feel a little weird, like he'd done something wrong or something to upset her.

He looked at Harry and nodded his head in her direction as if to say 'Is she alright?"

Harry looked over at Rachel and she just waved her hand and nodded her head. _"Go ahead, fire away."_

Harry nodded and turned back to Ron. "She cant speak. The muggle doctors say that her voice box is broken somehow."

At that point, Ron felt utterly ashamed of himself. "Sorry, mate." He said to Rachel.

She just shook her head as if to say, "It's fine, im used to it."

Somehow, Ron understood this and became relaxed again.

"Anything off the trolley, dears?" Said an oldish looking woman, pushing a trolley full of sweats, sandwiches and pasties.

"No thanks," Said Ron. He reached into his pocket and brought out the most sorry looking sandwich that Rachel had ever seen. "Im all set." He gave a weak smile and set the sandwich down again.

Harry looked at all the things on the trolley and asked, "What do you think?"

"_Take three of everything, im starving." _Rachel said as she sat up and set her book aside for the time being.

Harry got up and went out of the compartment to catch up to the lady. Ron noticed the book and felt awkward as he asked, "What book's that?"

She handed him the book and he said, "I haven't even started looking at my books, What chapter are you on?"

She walked over and sat down beside him and opened the book to chapter two, which was titled 'Godric Gryffindor.'

"Do you know about the houses yet?"

She signalled with her hands that she knew a small amount and he replied, "Well, the only thing you need to know is that Gryffindor house is the best and Slytherin is the worst, basic knowledge of the Hogwarts houses. My whole families been in Gryffindor, think I might get a howler from my mum if im in Slytherin. There aint a witch or wizard who went bad that weren't in Slytherin." Then Harry came in and dropped all the food and sweet in his arms onto the seat next to him. He tossed Rachel a pasty and she ripped if open and took a chunk out of it.

"_This is probably the single most beautiful thing I have ever tasted in my life."_ She said to Harry, taking another bite.

Harry looked at something called 'Chocolate frogs' and Ron looked at his sandwich and started taking the wrapper to bits.

Rachel sat next to the pill of sweets and grabbed a Pumpkin Pasty, A Liquorice wand and a packet of Bertie Bots every flavour beans and dumped them in Ron's lap. Then she took the sandwich out of Ron's hand and threw it in the corner she was previously sat in.

"Really?" Ron asked. They both nodded their heads, glad to finally have something to share, and started looking at various wrappers.

"These aren't real frogs, are they?" Harry asked as he brought up a packet saying 'Chocolate frogs'.

"Nah, it's jus' a spell." Said Ron with a mouth full on Liquorice. "Besides, it's the cards you wan'. Each pack has a famous witch or wizard. Go' bout' five 'undred meself." He took another bite and Harry opened the packet, revealing a chocolate frog which jumped from the packet instantly and onto the window. It crawled up the glass and leaped out of the window.

"Rotten luck." Ron said, his mouth empty. "They've only got one good jump in them to begin with." Before Harry could look at the card, a sorry looking boy appeared at the compartment door and said, "Have you seen a toad, by any chance?"

"Nah, sorry." Ron said.

"I've been looking everywhere for him." The boy said, panicking a bit.

"He'll turn up." Said Harry.

"Thanks. Well, if you see him." Said the boy, and he went back towards the front of the train again.

Harry turned the card over and saw the name 'Albus Dumbledore' written in italic writing above the figure of a man in a green robe, snow white hair and half moon glasses.

"I've got Dumbledore!" Harry exclaimed, handing the card over to Rachel. After she examined her future headmaster, she handed the card back to Harry.

Soon after, they heard a faint squeaking from Ron's coat.

"He's woken up again…" Ron said as he reached inside his coat and brought out a very ancient looking rat.

"This is Scabbers, by the way. Pathetic, isn't he?"

"Just a little bit." Harry said and Rachel nodded a little in agreement.

"Fred gave me a spell to turn him yellow. Want to see?" Ron asked as he reached for his wand.

"Yeah!" Harry exclaimed and Rachel sat up more in interest.

He cleared his throat and said, "Sun-"

He was cut off by a girl with brown hair and black school robes. She looked around the compartment and sighed. "Has anyone seen a toad? A boy named Neville's lost one." She stated in a small but bossy type of voice.

"No. He came by earlier, we aint seen it." Said Ron

The girl saw his wand out and said, "Are you doing magic? Let's see then."

Ron looked at the girl strangely and said, "Sunshine, daisies, butter mellow, turn this stupid, fat rat yellow!" He tapped the wand on his rat, but nothing happened.

"Are you sure that's a real spell? Well, it's not very good, is it? I've only tried a few simple ones myself, but they've all worked for me." The girl withdrew her wand and sat down beside Ron and pointed the wand in Harry's face.

"For example. Oculas reparo!" She said, and with the flick of her wand, a small light appeared from her wand and into Harry's cracked glasses, which were no longer cracked.

He took the glasses off and looked at Rachel and Ron.

"Holy cricket… your Harry Potter! And you… Rachel Potter, aren't you?" The twins nodded and the girl said, "Im Hermione Granger. And… you are?" She said as she turned to Ron.

"Im Ron Weasley." She said with a mouth full of pasty.

"Pleasure. You three better change into your robes, I talked to the driver and he said we'll be there in 10 minutes." And with that, she left in search for Neville's lost toad.

"I hope she's not in Gryffindor." Muttered Ron.

Rachel grabbed a bag from under her seat and pulled out two sets of jet black robes, like the ones Hermione had been wearing. She handed one set to Harry and said, _"Be right back."_

"Alright." Harry said.

When Rachel went out the door, Ron asked, "Can you speak to her through your mind?"

Harry nodded and Ron replied, "My brothers would give anything to do that. People at St. Mungo's, the wizard hospital, say it's incredibly rare. Lucky you can do it, with her being mute an' all."

Harry only nodded his head and changed into his robes.

"_You both decant?" _Rachel asked from outside.

"It's safe!" Harry shouted. Rachel came back in with her casual clothed under her arms and she stuffed them back into the bag. _"The jumpers itchy." _Rachel complained as she tried to scratch the irritating spot on her back.

Soon after, the Hogwarts express came to a halt and people were making their way off the train.

Harry, Rachel and Ron got from the trains and heard, "Firs' years! Firs' years this way!"

"_That sounds like Hagrid!" _Rachel said in excitement.

Soon enough, Hagrid came into view, holding a large lantern. "Hello there, kids." Hagrid greeted.

"Whoa…." Ron said, his mouth wide open.

Hagrid rounded up all the first years and lead them towards a vast lake. In the lake were dozens and dozens of small boats, big enough for four people each.

"In yer get!" Hagrid shouted and he launched himself into a boat of his own, which nearly sank under his weight.

When everyone was in a boat, Hagrid swished his umbrella and the boats began to move on their own.

Soon, from around the corner, a huge, magnificent castle stood tall and proud, lights coming from each window, giving it a warm glow.

Harry looked at the castle in awe, the same thing Rachel was doing. They felt strange, giddy, happy and excited all at the same time.

Sadly, the ride came to a stop and to boats came in at the shore.

"C'mon them, le's go!" Hagrid yelled.

Everyone made their was up to the castle and Hagrid banged on the large oak doors.


	8. The sorting

_**The sorting**_

"Right, jus go up them stairs. Professor McGonagall will be waitin' fer ya." Hagrid said in farewell. He disappeared round the corner and the first years were slowly edging their way inside.

After only 30 seconds of walking, they stopped in front of a tall, stern looking woman with a green cloak on, a hat and a scroll in her hands.

"Welcome to Hogwarts." Said Professor McGonagall. "In a few moments, you will pass through these doors and join your class mates, but before you take your seats, you must be sorted into your houses. There are Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw… and Slytherin. Each house has they're own special background and significant history." She paused for a while and looked around the crowd.

"While you're here, your house will be like your family. Your triumphs will earn you points, however, any rule breaking and you will loose points. At the end of the year, the house with the most points will win the house cup."

Professor McGonagall paused again and then said, "The sorting ceremony will begin soon." She turned and went through the doors.

"It's true, then? What everyone was saying on the train. The Potter twins have come to Hogwarts." Said a boy with unnaturally blonde hair.

People began whispering the two names 'Rachel' and 'Harry' while the boy stood foreword, two lumpy boys following closely behind him.

"_He was that boy at Madam Malkin's." _Rachel said.

Harry nodded his head slowly and the boy came in front of the two.

"This is Crabbe," He nodded towards the boy on his left. "And Goyle," He nodded to his right. "And im Malfoy. Draco Malfoy."

At this, Ron snickered slightly, fake coughing to try and hide it, but the boy heard it. "Think my name's funny, do you? No need to ask yours. Red hair, freckles, Second hand robes? You _must _be a Weasley." Said Draco Malfoy.

Both Harry and Rachel's dislike for him rose quickly as Ron's face went red.

"You will soon find out that some wizarding families are better them others. You don't want to be making friends with the wrong sort." Malfoy looked at Ron and sniggered. He looked back at the twins and said, "_I _can help you there." He held out his hand for them to shake and if Harry hadn't said 'No' to Rachel, she would have spat of Malfoy's hand.

Harry just said, "I think we can tell the wrong sort for ourselves, thanks anyway."

Malfoy narrowed his eyes and prepared to say a comeback, but was stopped by Professor McGonagall tapping his back with the scroll and saying sharply, "Get back in line, boy."

Malfoy did as he was told and McGonagall said, "Were ready for you now. Follow me." She turned again and the doors opened wide on their own, allowing the dozens of new pupils to come into the massive hall.

There were four tables which stretched across the room, one for each house, most of the seats already taken by the other pupils.

Most of the people were looking up at the ceiling, which looked like the sky.

The three friends heard Hermione Granger telling somebody about what she read in Hogwarts a history about the ceiling being bewitched to look like that.

They soon came to the end of the hall and were standing a few metres in front of another table, but this table was for the teachers. In the middle of this space was a stool and a hat on top of it. Professor McGonagall took the hat from the stood and opened the scroll of parchment.

"Now, when I call your name, you will come and sit down on the stool, I shall place the sorting hat on your head and you will be sorting into one of the four houses."

McGonagall looked at the scroll and spoke clearly, "Hannah Abbott!"

A shy looking girl with long, blonde hair carefully went up to the stool and sat. McGonagall placed the hat on her head and the hat… began to talk?

"Hmmm, were should I put you? A lot of kindness, I sense, friendly, brave, bright… HUFFLEPUFF!"

The girl got down off the stool and towards the roaring table. Rachel could hardly believe her eyes. A hat talked!

"_I get the feeling im gonna get a lot of surprises in this place…" _

Harry grunted in agreement while the hat sorted Susan Bones into Hufflepuff as well.

A boy called Terry went to Ravenclaw as well as a girl called Mandy. Millicent became a Slytherin, as well as Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle.

"Hermione Granger!" McGonagall called.

Hermione muttered to herself, trying to get herself to relax.

She sad on the stool and five seconds later, "GRYFFINDOR!"

The Gryffindor house applauded their new addition as Ron groaned.

Next, Ron's name was called and he gingerly (No pun intended) made his was up to the stool. He sat down and the hat hadn't even touched his head when the hat bellowed, "HA! Another Weasley. I know just what to do with you… GRYFFINDOR!"

The Gryffindor house again clapped again, the Weasley family the most enthusiastic of all of them.

Only a few minutes later, Harry then only just realised that he, Rachel and five other people were left. He felt someone stare at his from over at the teachers table and saw a dark looking man with greasy, black hair look at him and Rachel. He rubbed his scar as a blinding pain started to spread through it.

Rachel, The Gryffindor table still clapping, did the same to her scar, but on her chest. She had two scars from the 'car accident', one of her face and the other spreading straight across her chest.

"_Why's he staring at us?" _Rachel asked.

"_Dunno, just ignore him." _Harry said as he lowered his arm.

The Gryffindor table finally calmed down enough to hear McGonagall say, "Harry Potter!"

The hall quietened immediately. One of the teachers in the middle, an aged man with half moon glasses and snowy white beard, shuffled in his seat with interest, like a few of the other teachers did.

He walked to the stool and sat down, feeling the hat being placed on his head.

"Hmm, difficult… _very _difficult," The hat started. It paused for a few moments before it continued, "Quite a lot of courage here, I see, not a bad mind, either, there's talent… and a thirst to prove yourself. But where to put you? I can see you would do well in Slytherin…"

Before the hat could continue, Harry thought, 'Not Slytherin, NOT Slytherin…"

He didn't want to go into that horrible house, especially with some of the thing he'd heard.

"Not Slytherin, ay? Are you sure? You could be great, you know. It's all here in your head, and Slytherin would help you on the way to greatness, there's no doubt about it. No? Well if your sure. Better be… GRYFFINDOR!"

The whole of Gryffindor table erupted in shouts and chants again, happy they had at least one of the Potter twins in Gryffindor. Harry ran and sat down next to Ron, not before shacking hands with nearly everybody on the Gryffindor table, that is.

When the shouted quietened down, McGonagall looked down at the scroll again and called, "Rachel Potter!"

The hall went deathly silent again as Harry said, _"Good luck, sis."_

Rachel giggled a little and looked back at Harry, who was smiling nervously.

She walked up to the stool and took a seat, waiting for the hat to fall on her head.

It took a while to sort her. For the first five minutes, the hat said nothing. McGonagall went to take the hat off her head to see if the hat was working correctly, but when the last straw of Rachel's hair left the hat, the hat bellowed, "IM THINKING!"

McGonagall jumped and placed the hat upon Rachel head again. The hat's voice started again two minutes later, but this time only to Rachel, who was biting her nails nervously.

"_You have very similar qualities to your brother, you do. You are very bright, but Ravenclaw is not the house for you, neither is Hufflepuff." _A few seconds passed before it continued, _"Although, you do seem… ambitious, in a way, a Slytherin quality, but I can see you have no desire to go to Slytherin, why?"_

"_Cant you just look and find the answer?" _Rachel replied.

"_No. Your mind is very… muddled, should I say. I could see the reason Mr Potter didn't wish to go to Slytherin very clearly, but your mind is so mixed. You remember so much about that night, don't you? Maybe that's the reason you despise the Slytherin house?"_

To this, Rachel remained silent, listening to the echoing screams of her mother.

"_I suppose you could say that." _Rachel said. Using her minds eye, she saw how her Mother fell to the floor, still and lifeless, and how a strange hooded man stepped in and laid his eyes on Harry and slowly rose his wand, ready to blast him into oblivion. _"I will not be apart of that house, not after what he did, what he took away from us."_

Harry could tell something was wrong by the look on Rachel's face. She was focused, thinking, and he couldn't hear what she and the hat were talking about, which worried him.

The srting hat stayed quiet for the next few moments, debating with himself whereto pu her. Eventually, the hat began to talk again.

"_Very well. That just leaves you one place to go."_

"GRYFFINDOR!" The hat exclaimed.

Rachel let out the breath she didn't know she was holding in. McGonagall took the hat from her head and smiled fondly as she ran to the Gryffindor table and sat next to Hermione. She, like Harry, shook many hands before actually sitting down. Then, the boy called Neville Longbottom, who had found his toad, Trevor, was sorted into Gryffindor as well.

McGonagall rolled up the scroll, took the hat and the stool away and returned a few minutes later.

The man with the half moon glasses, who turned out to be Professor Dumbledore, the headmaster, stood up suddenly and said clearly, "I have a few announcements to make this evening. First of all, first years please note, that the dark forest is strictly forbidden to all students. Also our caretaker, Mr Filch, has asked me to remind you, that the 3rd floor corridor, of the right hand side, is out of bounds to everyone who does not wish to die a most painful death."

"_Yeah, welcome to school." _Said Rachel.

"Thank you. Let the feast begin."

Before either Harry or Rachel could discus what Dumbledore had just said, the plates and cups in front of them had been filled with meats, fruits, vegetables and juices. Rachel didn't take 10 seconds to fill her plate with Gammon, chicken and lamb, her favourite meats, and other different vegetables.

Harry, however, took his time to eat his food, he was savouring the feeling of being able to use his taste buds, for once.

After the feast was over, Percy, Ron's brother, got up and asked for the Gryffindor first years to follow him as he led them to a strange staircase… which moved.

"_Oh my sunny lord…" _Rachel said.

Once they were told about the stair cases, which was to go in different ways on certain days and stuff like that, Percy led them into a hallway where a painting could be seen. He walked to the painting and the woman in the painting said, "Password?"

"Caput draconis." Percy said in an important voice. The painting swung open the reveal a hallway, which Percy climbed through, along with the others.

"Gather round here!" Percy shouted. "Welcome to the Gryffindor common room. Boys dormitory is up stairs and down to your left, Girls, the same on your right. You will find that all your belongings have already been brought up. You receive all your timetables tomorrow morning in the Great hall. Have a good night."

Harry and Rachel just stood together for a few moments before sighing happily. They stared at roaring fire and sat down in front of it.

"_Can you believe this is happening?" _Rachel said.

"Not really, but im glad it is." Harry replied as he looked dreamily into the fire.

Soon after, Ron announced he was tired and headed off to his dorm and half an hour later, Harry said the same.

Rachel remained in front of the fire for another hour, watching as it slowly dimmed down. She was the only one left in the common room, or so she thought.

"Shouldn't you be in bed and asleep, young Miss Potter?" Said a familiar voice. She craned her head to see a ghostly figure.

This was nearly headless Nick, or Sir Nicolas as he preferred.

Rachel pointed to the fire, trying to say she wanted to wait till it went out.

Nick understood and continued, "Funny. Your father did the same thing with his friends the first night he came here."

Rachel took her eyes from the dimming fire and watched Nick in interest.

"Oh yes. Troublesome bunch they were, always running around the castle at night, playing pranks and tricks, but they were a splendid little group. When I first saw you, I thought I was having a flashback. Look so much like you mother, but it was your father's eyes that brought me to my senses. Don't think I'll ever forget that little mischievous glint, always had it in his eyes… You've got it too, by the looks of i-"

"Alright, Nicolas, that's enough." Said a stern voice from the portrait. Professor McGonagall came in, looking worn and tired.

"You should be asleep. Go on, off to your dorm." McGonagall said.

Rachel nodded to them and sluggishly made her way to the girls dorm. As she went up the stairs, she could hear McGonagall chastising Nearly Headless Nick, and as he floated away, she heard him mutter, "This is going to be an interesting seven years."

She wasn't surprised to see everyone in bed and asleep, but something didn't feel right, she didn't feel alone.

"_Shouldn't you be sleeping?" _Rachel called.

"_Couldn't sleep. Besides, Deans snoring." _Harry replied from his dorm.

Rachel leaned down and opened her case, careful not to wake anyone, and pulled out her pyjama's and quickly changed.

She didn't go to the bed, though. She went to the window, were she could sense her brother the most.

"_Moons pretty tonight." _Rachel said. Harry agreed and just stared out of the window.

Some time later, they both fell asleep, perched on the window sills and went into a dreamful sleep of wondering the castle, which was now their new found home.

A.N: I hope you enjoyed this chapter! I was very tempted to put Rachel into another House, but before I began writing this I did a quick briefing. At one point in the later book its crucial for Rachel to be in Gryffindor, sorry :P Anyway, I hope you enjoy the story so far, im getting nice feedback, so keep 'em coming!


	9. Classes, Teachers and Quidditch

_**Classes, teachers and Quidditch**_

Their dream didn't last as long as they wanted it to. Soon, they were woken up by their friends and forced to get up and dress.

"You cant be late for breakfast, were getting our timetables, and we cannot miss classes." Hermione Granger was explaining to Rachel. Rachel just sat there with a bored expression on her face, unable to tell Hermione to shut up.

Harry and Ron met Rachel in the common room and went to the great hall, where they received their time tables.

"Potions with the Slytherins." Ron grumbled as he ate his breakfast.

Rachel let out a sigh and Harry did nothing but eat his bacon.

Soon after they went to their first lesson, which was Transfiguration and McGonagall was the teacher. After that, it was Charms and a small, white bearded teacher named Flitwick.

Then came the dreaded class; Potion, with a greasy, black haired man known as Snape, head of Slytherin house.

The Potions class took place down in the dungeons in one of the many room. The dungeons was also where the Slytherin dorm was.

Snape began the lesson like Flitwick by taking the register. When he got to Harry's name, he looked up from the register and looked down at him. "Mr Potter. Our new… celebrity."

The way Snape said this gave the twins the impression he didn't like Harry very much, but when he came to Rachel's name, he looked up again, but said nothing, just studied her.

Soon, he explained to the class the arts of Potion making and a very select few would be able to do it (He was looking as Malfoy when he said this).

He paused for a moment and sharply said, "Potter! What would I get if I added powdered root of asphodel to an infusion of wormwood?"

"_Oh, I know this one!" _Rachel said, but kept still, while Hermione's hand shot straight up.

"_What is it then?" _Harry asked pleadingly.

"_It's some sort of sleeping draft- or sleeping potion, whichever."_

"It's a sleeping potion, sir." Harry answered.

Snape let out a slight laugh as he breathed out his nose. "Well done, _Miss Potter._" Snape looked at Rachel and continued, "I'm glad someone in this class actually opened their books before starting school, but I asked Mr Potter, not you." He hissed. "Do I make myself clear?"

Rachel sighed and nodded her head, which Snape reacted with, "Don't shake your head at me, girl. Answer me!"

"Please, Sir. She cant-" Harry started, but was cut off by his Professor.

"Silence, Potter! Answer me, girl!" Snape was practically shouting now.

Rachel stayed silent and Snape sneered. "Very well. Five points from Gryffindor house, as well as detention after school today _and _tomorrow."

"That's totally unfair! She can't-" Harry stool up this time but soon sat back down when Snape said, "If you say anything more Mr Potter, you will join her and it will be an extra ten point from Gryffindor."

Harry stayed silent, not wanting their house to be in anymore trouble and Snape continued, "Let's try again. Where _Mr Potter, _would you look if I asked you to find me a bezoar?"

Again, Hermione's hand shot up, but Snape ignored her.

Harry shook his head and replied, "I don't know, sir."

"What is he difference between Monkshood and Wolfsbane?"

At this, Hermione stood up with her hand raised high in the air.

"I don't know, Sir." Harry said again.

"_Sorry, mate." _Rachel said.

"Sit down." Snape spat at Hermione and she did as she was told, but reluctantly.

"A bezoar is a stone taken from the stomach of a goat, and it will save you from many poisons. Wolfsbane and Monkshood are the same plant which is also known aconite."

Harry and Rachel now knew for sure Snape hated not only Harry, but Rachel as well.

The day wore on and on until finally the day ended and Rachel had to go back down to the dungeons to serve her detention. Harry and Ron had gone with her and said, "We'll wait for you out here. Good luck."

Rachel entered the class and was greeted by Snape.

"Sit down, Miss Potter." Snape said in such a way it sent horrible shivers down her spine.

She sat down and saw on the table a piece of parchment.

"You will be writing lines for me. 250 lines, all repeating 'I must speak when spoken to.' Begin."

Rachel sighed, got out her quill and began writing.

'_I must speak when spoken to.'_

'_I must speak when spoken to.'_

'_I must speak when spoken to.'_

'_I must speak when spoken to.'_

After the other 246 lines were done, she slammed the parchment on Snape's desk and stuffed her quill in her bag and looked at her watch.

"_Only took half hour." _Rachel thought. She grabbed her bag and slung it over her shoulder, but before she could go any further, Snape said, "Now then, Miss Potter. Next time I ask you to speak, you will do so. Do I make myself clear?"

This time, Rachel shook her head violently, grabbed the parchment she put on Snape's desk, took his quill from his hand and wrote 'IM MUTE'.

Rachel slammed the quill on the deck, nearly breaking it, and stormed out of the class, leaving Snape dumbfounded.

"Hey, Rach!" Harry and Ron yelled after her as she ran from the dungeons and to Gryffindor tower, not stopping on the way there.

As she ran up Gryffindor Tower, she thanked God that people were coming out of the portrait, leaving it open as they saw where she was going. Luckily, there was nobody in the common room, so Rachel picked up the nearest thing to her, which was a white chess piece, and flung it across the room. The bishop smashed into many pieces and landed on the floor as Rachel huffed and puffed.

When Harry and Ron finally caught up with her, she was still standing, but felt lighter then she had done before. _"I feel better now."_

"What did you do?" Harry asked, knowing he wasn't going to like the answer.

Ron, who had already found the answer, picked up his broken bishop and whined, "Why my chess set, Rachel? Couldn't you have thrown a glass or something?"

Rachel shrugged her shoulders in a way of sorry and dropped into the vacant chair.

"So? What happened?" Harry asked as he too sat down.

After Rachel had told them the story and Ron, his castle long forgotten, said, "Were defiantly gunna lose that house cup now."

Again, Rachel shrugged her shoulders and stared into the fire.

A few days had passed since then, and all three of them were dreading their next lesson with Snape. Strangely though, he didn't really do anything. Well, to Rachel anyways.

He shifted a little uncomfortably when he called her name on the register and kept his eyes to the scroll. When he came round to criticize everyone's potion, the only two he didn't was her and Malfoy. Even the Slytherins knew something was up.

To make matters worse, McGonagall had put a notice up in the common room saying that Quidditch practise will be held on Thursday with the Slytherin's.

On Thursday morning in the Great Hall, the owls came and dropped off the pupil's packages. Malfoy got a load of sweets from his family, Ron got a paper, and Neville got a remembrall.

As soon as the crystal clear ball came out of the box, Hermione suddenly thought she was in class.

"I've read about those. When the smoke turns red, it means you've forgotten something."

Neville shook his head and moaned, "I cant remember what I've forgotten…"

When Harry began to tuck back into his breakfast, Rachel said, _"Harry, look at this."_

It was an article in the paper 'The Daily Prophet', which said:

_**Gringotts break-in**_

_Believed to be the work of dark witches or wizards unknown, Gringotts goblins were acknowledging the breach and insisted that nothing was taken. The vault in question number 713 was actually emptied earlier that very same day._

"_That's the vault we went to, wasn't it?" _Rachel asked.

Harry nodded and Ron asked, "What?"

Harry explained the situation the Ron and he replied, "That's a little bit too… convenient."

Eventually, Harry nodded in agreement and pushed it to the back on his mind, continuing with his breakfast.

Quidditch was with a tall professor called Madam Hooch. The lesson was held outside and they were told to stand in two lines and wait.

"Welcome to your first flying lesson!" Greeted Madam Hooch. "Well? What are you waiting for? Stick your right hand over the broom, and say 'Up!'.

"_Great. Pronunciation." _Rachel said glumly.

However, it didn't seem to be that big a deal. When Harry had gotten his broom to rise to his hand, Rachel tried harder.

"_UP!" _She roared in her mind, making Harry wince a little. The broom rushed to her hand and she grabbed it firmly.

"_Well done." _Harry said.

Rachel nodded a little, still a little bit shocked as she wasn't expecting that to happen.

Once everyone had their brooms, Madam Hooch continued, "Once you have a firm hold on your broom, I want you to mount it. When I blow my whistle, I want each of you to kick off from the ground hard, hover for a moment, then lean foreword slightly and touch back down. On my whistle-" Everyone gripped their brooms tighter and prepared to jump from the ground.

"3…2-" Before she could blow the whistle, however, Neville had began to rise early, but he wasn't coming down.

"Mr Longbottom!" Madam Hooch cried as he got several feet in the air. "Come back down this instant!"

Of course, he did not. It was either he was too shaky to control which direction he was going, or the broom had a mind of it's own. The broom went high into the air and began to fly left, right and centre. A couple of times it did a dive bomb and came out of it suddenly, making Neville slip a bit.

Eventually, Neville fell from the broom about 9 feet off the ground, but landed on his wrist.

"Everyone out of the way!" Madam Hooch called. A small path was made for her to get to Neville and she leaned over him while muttering, "A broken wrist."

She helped Neville off of the ground and said, "Everyone is to keep their feet firmly on the ground while I take Mr Longbottom to the hospital wing, understand? If I see a single broom in the air, the one riding it will be out of Hogwarts before they can say Quidditch."

With that, she wondered off with Neville and Malfoy sniggered, "Did you see his face? If the fat lump had given this a squeeze, he'd of remembered to fall on his fat arse!"

Harry turned round to see Malfoy holding Neville's remembrall high in the air.

Instantly, Harry said, "Give it here Malfoy!"

Malfoy grew a smile on his lips and said, "No. I think I'll leave it somewhere for Longbottom to find." His grip tightened on his broom and he rose into the air. Harry, determined to get the remembrall back, hoped on the broomstick, but was stopped by Hermione. "Harry, no way! You heard what Madam Hooch said."

"_I wouldn't do it Harry. Madam Hooch will be back in a second, she'll see him and he'll be expelled, simple way to get rid of him." _Rachel added.

Even though it would end with Malfoy being gone if he held his place on the ground, but he wouldn't let Malfoy show him up.

Harry mounted the broomstick and soon got to Malfoy's height and threatened, "Give it here, Malfoy, or I'll knock you off your broom!"

Malfoy shrugged and said, "Have it your way then." He turned and lobbed the ball towards one of the schools towers.

Harry hurtled after it, nearly knocking Malfoy off his broom as he sped past. He didn't care if Rachel was yelling at him to get down, he just wanted to get the remembrall and show Malfoy.

Harry leaned foreword, doing a spin and he caught the ball firmly in his hand. He couldn't believe it, he caught it! He was over 30 feet in the air, gripping his broom for dear life with one hand and the ball in the other, slowly descending to the ground.

"_You almost gave me a heart attack, you idiot." _Rachel said as she hugged her brother.

As people began to cheer for him, Rachel's eyes went elsewhere and she said, _"Uhh, Harry…"_

"_What?"_

"HARRY POTTER!" Said the voice of McGonagall. Harry followed Rachel's eyes and saw his head of house standing only a few meters away. "Follow me."

"_I told you not to. You men and your stupid pride."_

Harry ignored her and did as he was told. He was defiantly going to get expelled now, and Rachel was going to stay while he was with the Dursley's.

"You wait here." McGonagall said, as she continued into a class Harry knew to be the Defence Against the Dark Arts.

She came back a few moments later with a tall looking fifth year. He looked extremely confused and looked at his Professor.

"Potter, this is Oliver Wood. Wood, I have found you a seeker."

As the words left her mouth, Wood looked at Harry in a new light, a light of excitement.

"The boy caught that… that thing in his hand, nearly crashed into my office. Didn't even scratch himself! Not even Charlie Weasley could have done that."

Wood started walking around Harry and nodded his head. "We'll have to get him a decent broom, though. A cleansweep 7 or a nimbus two thousand."

"I'll speak to Professor Dumbledore. See if I can bend the first year rule a bit." She turned to Harry and said, "I want to hear that you're training hard, or I may consider changing my mind about punishing you."

She turned to go and then ended, "You know, your father was an excellent Quidditch player himself."

The bell had gone and within a few seconds he heard, _"Harry!"_

He turned to see Rachel and Ron running from the field and toward him and McGonagall.

"_If you're expelled… tell her that i… im dropping out…" _Rachel said as she put her hands on her knees and panted.

Harry just told them the whole story as they walked into the Great Hall for dinner. "You're joking." Ron said, not believing his ears. "First years never get picked for the house team. You must be the youngest Seeker in a century."

"According to McGonagall." Harry said as he sat down and began pilling food into his plate. "I start training next week, but Wood wants to keep it a secret."

Right on time, Fred and George appeared in front of them and said, "Well done, Harry! Wood's just told us!"

Harry frowned and Ron said, "These two are on the team to, Beaters."

"Our job is to make sure that you don't get blooded up to bad." Said George.

"Can't make any promises of course-" Added Fred.

"Rough game Quidditch-"

"Brutal!"

"Nobody's ever died in years-"

"Someone will vanish occasionally-"

"But they'll turn up in a month or two." Said George in finality.

The brothers then hurried off, claiming that a pupil called Lee Jordan had found a secret route out of the castle.

"_Maybe I should go to McGonagall and say im not doing it." _Harry said.

Rachel sighed and Ron more or less knew from that what Harry was planning. "Go on, Harry. Quidditch is great! Best game there is, and you'll be great to."

"But I've never played Quidditch, what if I make a fool of myself?"

"You wont make a fool of yourself." Said the voice of Hermione Granger from beside them. "It's in your blood."

"What?" Harry and Ron said in usion.

"Come with me." Said Hermione.

She led the three of them to a hallway, in the middle was a glass trophy cupboard. On one of the trophy shields was the name 'James Potter, Chaser'.

"Wow… You never told that your Dad was a Quidditch player too."

Both Harry and Rachel were dumbstruck and Harry replied, "We didn't know."

A.N: Sorry if this chapter was a little rushed, I had to hurry this one a little bit. Anyways, hope you enjoyed


	10. Three headed dogs and Quidditch

_**Three headed dogs, Quidditch and evil eyes**_

Harry, Rachel, Ron and Hermione were walking up the grand staircase towards Gryffindor Tower.

"It's spooky." Said Ron. "She knows more about you than you do."

"Who doesn't?" Harry replied, but was soon leaning on Ron as the staircase began to move.

"The staircases change, remember?" Hermione said as she clung to Rachel, who was hanging on to the stone railings.

As soon as the staircase stopped they all got off the stairs and went through the first door that came into view.

The room was big, dark and eerie. They could just see the figures of statues, suits of armour and unlit torches of the walls.

"Does anyone feel like they shouldn't be here?" Harry asked.

Hermione shook her head, realising where they were. "Were not supposed to be here. This is the third floor, it's forbidden."

Rachel took a step forward and the torches lit up.

"Lets go-" Harry began, but was cut off.

"Meow."

The group turned on their heels to see a cat. Mr. Filch's cat. Mrs Norris.

"It's Filch's cat!" Hermione said in a hurried whisper.

Harry felt a wave of fright run through him and began running, the other following closely behind him.

They soon came to a corridor with a door at the very end. Harry twisted, pulled and pushed at the handle, but the door wouldn't budge. "Locked!"

"That's it," Said Ron. "Were done for!"

"_It's been fun while it lasted." _Said Rachel.

"Is anyone there, my sweet?" Said the very slimy voice of Filch.

Hermione huffed impatiently and said, "Move over!"

She withdrew her wand and pointed it at the lock. "Alohomora!"

The lock gave a **click! **And the door swung open. The four children rushed inside and slammed the door shut and pressed their ears against the door.

The footsteps of Filch came closer to the door and the children held their breathes.

After a few moments the footsteps began again, but they soon faded away. They could just hear a 'c'mon' as he went back to the staircase and closed the door.

They let out their breathes and Ron asked, "Alohomora?"

"_Did he even open his books before he came here?" _Rachel asked.

"Standard book of spells, chapter seven." Hermione replied to Ron.

Harry had turned and immediately went cold. _"Rach…"_

"_What- what the hell is that?"_

"He thought this door was locked." Ron said as he was about to go back outside.

"It was locked-" Hermione replied, but was cut off but Harry.

"And for good reason."

Before the four children slept a giant dog with three heads. Droll was slowly dripping from their mouths and onto the floor, all the ears were twitching as they dreamt and they were soon disturbed from their sleep as Ron said rather loudly, "What is that?"

It's eyes fluttered open and looked at them. It stood, towering the children, and began to bark.

The three who could screamed as Rachel opened the door and opened it widely.

"_Get through, quickly!" _She yelled at Harry, who grabbed the other two and ran through the door.

"Alohomora, Alohomora!" Ron yelled, making the door **click **again, but they could hardly hear it.

They ran from the hallway and up the stairs to Gryffindor Tower.

Harry spoke the password to the fat lady and they all crammed into the open portrait.

As soon as Ron saw the place was empty, he yelled, "What do they think they're doing?! Keeping a thing like that locked up in a school?!"

Hermione sighed and said, "You don't use your eyes, do you? Didn't you see what it was standing on?"

"I wasn't lookin' at its feet, I was a bit preoccupied with it's head! Or maybe you didn't notice, there were three!"

"It was standing on a trapped door, which means it wasn't there by accident. It's guarding something."

"Guarding something?" Harry asked.

"That's right. Now, if you three don't mind, im going to bed, before any of you come up with another idea to get us killed, or worse, expelled." With that, Hermione went up the stairs and into the first year girls dorm.

"She needs to sort out her priorities." Ron muttered.

The twins nodded, said their goodnights and went to their dorms.

The next morning, the trio went to the great hall for breakfast. "So, what do you think might be under that door?" Asked Ron with a mouth full of sausage.

"Something valuable." Answer Harry.

"Or dangerous."

"_Or both."_

The three of them thought about it for a while, but in the end continued with their meals.

Soon, the flapping of wings and squawks of birds filled the hall as owls flooded into the room, dropping packages and letters to their owners, But everyone had their eyes on a very long package which headed to the Gryffindor table.

"_Isn't that Hedwig?" _Rachel asked.

"Yeah." Said Harry as his arms reached up to catch the package. Hedwig was feed some toast by Rachel and she set off again, but towards the Teachers Table and settled down in front of Professor McGonagall, who began stroking the bird.

"We never get mail." Harry said.

"Let's open it!" Ron said as he reached for the first knot, but was stopped by Rachel.

"_Read the letter first, H."_

Seeing it for the first time, Harry took the envelope, ripped it open and read:

'Don't open the package at the table. It carries your Nimbus Two Thousand. Everyone will want one if they see you have. Meet Wood at seven o'clock tonight at the Quidditch pitch for your training session.

Professor McGonagall.'

"A Nimbus Two Thousand?!" Ron whispered excitedly. "C'mon, lets go to the dorm!"

Without another word, they raced out of the hall, but Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle soon followed.

"That's a broom, first years aren't allowed them." Stated Malfoy with a smug look on his face. "You'll defiantly be expelled now."

"It's a Nimbus Two Thousand, if you must know."

"How would you know, Weasley? You couldn't even afford half of it."

Before Ron could answer, Professor Flitwick approached them.

"Potter's been sent a broom, Professor!" Malfoy shouted, jumping at the chance.

"Yes," Flitwick said. "I've been told. Well done, Potter. Professor McGonagall told me. What model?"

"Nimbus Two Thousand, Professor." Harry replied.

Rachel had to turn around and walk away to keep herself from laughing. The look on Malfoy's face was priceless, Harry though, was fighting from laughing himself.

After Malfoy, Crabbe, Goyle and Flitwick re-entered the Great Hall, the three of them burst out with laughter and continued to the Gryffindor Tower. They still had half an hour till lessons, so they had a little time.

They went into the boys dorm and took the packaging off, revealing the shinny, well polished broom.

It looked absolutely magnificent. Even the Twins, who knew nothing about brooms, knew that this was one of the best.

As the half an hour nearly came to an end, Harry put the broom under his bed and waited 'till 7 o'clock, which couldn't come fast enough.

Eventually, it did. After a full school day, he rushed up to his bed, took the broom and ran back down to the dorm and waited.

"_See you later." _Rachel said as she looked up from her parchment. _"Tell me how it goes."_

"Will do. See you." Harry said. He did sort of count himself lucky. He was going to Quidditch lesson while Rachel and Ron did their potion and charm homework, which he would copy later.

Too excited to fly again, as soon as he left the doors of the castle, he hopped on his broom and flew to the pitch. After a while of swooping around the stadium, he heard, "Potter! Come down!"

He descended slowly and landed effortlessly next to Wood, who had under his a large wooden box and a bag over his shoulder.

"Very nice. I think we might just win this year. Tonight I'll just be teaching you the rules, but you'll be joining in on training next week." He put the box down and began, "Quidditch is easy enough to understand. Each team has seven players; three chasers, two beaters, one keeper and a seeker."

Wood opened the box and took out a large red ball. "There are three kinds of balls. This ones called the Quaffle. The three chasers handle the Quaffle," He turned and pointed towards the three hoops at either side of the field. "And try to score it in one of those three hoops. The keeper, that me, defends the hoops. Got me so far?"

"I think so. Three chasers, they carry the Quaffle and throw it through one of the hoops to score points. The Keeper defends the hoops and then there are the Beaters and the Seeker."

"Right." Wood said as he bent down and grabbed a club. "You better take this." He handed Harry the club.

He reached down to one of the two latches and undid one, sending a round black ball into the air.

"Careful now, it's coming back."

Harry gripped the club tighter, brought it back behind his head, and swung at the ball, sending it out of the stadium.

"Not bad, Potter. You'd make a fair Beater." Wood said. His eyes then turned worried as the ball began it's journey back. "Uh oh…"

The black ball sped past Harry and was caught by Wood who wrestled it to the floor, struggling to get it back into the box. When he did eventually, he closed the latch and felt his wrist. "Bludgers, nasty little buggers. Bludgers fly around the pitch trying to knock players off their brooms. The two Beaters knock the Bludgers to try and knock the other teams players off of their brooms. The Weasley twins are our Beaters. Got it?"

Harry nodded and Wood looked at the box one more time. He opened a small compartment and took a small golden ball from the socket.

"The only thing that I want you to worry about is this. The Golden Snitch. Most important ball of all. During the match, the Snitch sprouts wings and flies all round the pitch. The only thing is is that it's wicked fast and damn near impossible to see."

He handed the Snitch to Harry and continued, "The only way a game of Quidditch can end is if one of the teams Seekers catch the Snitch, giving said team 150 points, so they nearly always win. Now, have you got all that?"

Harry repeated everything Wood had told him about the game. "Good. We wont try you out with the real Snitch yet, to dark, we might lose it. But we could use these." He took the back, opened it and took out several golf balls. Soon they were up in the air and throwing golf balls around to each other.

After a while of Wood throwing the balls and Harry catching them and throwing them back, they made their way back to castle.

Harry put his broom with the other in the broom cupboard and made his way back up to the Gryffindor Tower.

"So, how'd it go?" Ron asked. He was in a heated game of chess with Rachel, who was concentrating on the game.

"Well. I start training next week. Rach, Where's your homework?" Harry asked.

"_In my bag." _Rachel replied as she moved her pawn forward, taking Ron's Bishop and his Castle took her Pawn.

"Checkmate." Ron said as he flicked her king over.

Rachel looked at the board for a moment before exclaiming, _"How come I didn't see that?"_

"Well played. You're getting better." Ron said. "Harry, want a game? You and Rachel against me?"

"Cant, need to copy her homework." Harry replied as he dipped his quill in ink and began writing.

Neither of the twins could believe it. They had already been at Hogwarts for two months!

It was getting toward Halloween and the Great Hall was getting decorated, as well as the halls.

Harry, Rachel and Ron were sat in charms class listening to professor Flitwick talking about the Levitation Charm.

"Now, don't forget the nice wrist movement we've been practicing. Swish and flick! Everyone."

All the pupils grabbed their wands and did the swish and flick movement and Flitwick added, "Oh! And pronunciation; Wingardium Leviosa. Off you go then."

The class began swishing their wands and tapping the feather they were meant to me levitating off the desks, but none succeeded.

Ron, who had been getting frustrated with his feather, nearly broke his wand by slamming it onto his feather.

Hermione, who was sat next to him, said, "Stop. Whoa, stop! You're going to take someone's eyes out. Besides, you're saying it wrong. It's Levi-o-sa. Not Leviosa."

"You do it then if you're so clever." Ron said with a huff.

Hermione cleared her throght and said, "Wingardium Leviosa!" With a tap of the wand, the feather began to rise in the air above everyone.

"Well done!" Squeaked Professor Flitwick. "Miss Granger's done it! Splendid!"

Ron went bright red, sat back and let his temper rise.

By the end of class, the only two who had gotten their feather to rise was Hermione and Rachel, who was quite impressed with herself.

"'Its Levi-o-sa! Not Leviosa!'" Shouted Ron after class, mimicking Hermione. Harry, Rachel, Ron, Seamus and Dean were all walking through the grounds to the Great Hall. The boys were making fun of Hermione for, of course, being a know it all, but Rachel didn't find it funny at all.

"_He's only making fun of her because she showed him up. She was trying to help him, for God's sake."_

"She's a nightmare, honestly! No wonder she hasn't got any friends!" Ron shouted loudly.

Harry felt someone push past him, and colour drained from his face when he saw that it was Hermione.

She quickened her pace from the boys and Rachel ran up to her and put her hand on her shoulder to try and stop her, but Hermione snapped back with, "Don't touch me!"

Rachel turned and gave the most evil looking eyes she could muster at Ron.

"I think she heard you." Harry said and was trying to ignore the look Rachel gave him.


	11. Trolls and Quidditch matches

_**Trolls and Quidditch matches.**_

While the trio were in the Great Hall trying to enjoy the Halloween feast, they heard Parvati Patil telling a girl called Lavender Brown that she heard Hermione Granger crying in the girl bathroom and that she wouldn't come out. For a while after that, Rachel wasn't talking and was ignoring everything Ron and Harry were saying about the matter.

After Professor Dumbledore has given a speech, Professor Quirrell came running into the Great Hall down between the Gryffindor and Hufflepuff tables while screaming, "TROLL! IN THE DUNGEON! TROLL IN THE DUNGEON!"

He stopped in the middle of the Hall and looked at all the Professors. "I thought you ought to know." As soon as the words left his mouth, he fainted.

Screams of horror and terror flooded the Hall as students ran left and right, nearly everyone ran for the great doors, until Dumbledore shouted, "SILENCE!"

Everyone shut up at once and Dumbledore continued, "Everyone, please. Do not panic. Prefects, lead your house back to your dormitories. Teacher, follow me to the dungeon."

Immediately Percy took control. He rounded up all the students in Gryffindor and began leading them to the Tower.

"How could a troll get in?" Harry asked.

"Not on it's own, troll are really stupid." Ron answered.

"KEEP UP PLEASE, AND STAY ALERT!" Percy called to everyone at the back of the line.

Suddenly, Rachel stopped and grabbed Harry wrist. _"Hermione! The girls bathroom, c'mon!" _She ran full speed down the hall, leaving Harry and Ron to catch up.

"What's she doing?!" Ron exclaimed.

"Hermione, she doesn't know about the troll!" Harry replied as he struggled to keep up with his sister.

Turning a corner, he bumped into Rachel, making them both fall to the ground.

When they regained their balance, Harry said, "What are you-"

He was stopped as Rachel put her hand over his mouth and pushed him against the wall.

_**Thump!**_

_**Thump! **_

_**Thump!**_

Harry slowly turned his head to see a huge troll walking through the corridor. A club was being dragged behind it in its right hand, and all three children knew where it was headed.

"It's going into the girls bathroom!" Harry said.

"_I'll go get the other Professors!" _Rachel yelled as she ran down the hall towards the Dungeons.

When the troll went into the bathroom, Harry and Ron soon followed. Before they reached the door, however, there was an ear splitting scream.

"Hermione!" They shouted.

They opened the door and just saw a glimpse of her robe disappear into the end cubicle.

The troll lifted his club and swung, taking out all of the cubical separators. Hermione then scurried from the remains and crawled under one of the sinks while Harry and Ron threw splintered bits of wood at the trolls head.

Meanwhile, Rachel was running down the stairs in the Entrance Hall, jumped the first set of stairs going down into the dungeon and yanked the door open.

"The question is, how did the troll get in on it's own? Unless someone decided it was- oof!" McGonagall was asking, but couldn't finish as the wind was knocked out of here by Rachel as she crashed into her head of house.

"Miss Potter? What are you doing here? Get to your dormitory at once!"

Rachel ignored here and did a signal with her hand to try and get the teachers to follow her, without success.

"Do as your told! Go back to Gryffindor Tower!"

Rachel huffed, reached forward and took McGonagall's hand and attempted to drag her to the bathroom.

"If I may, Minerva, I believe she is trying to show us something. Am I correct, Rachel?" Asked Professor Dumbledore.

Rachel nodded her head hastily and ran up the dungeon stairs and towards the girls bathroom, the other Professor on her heels.

"Is it… dead?" Hermione asked as she got up from under the sink.

"I don't think so. Just knocked out." Harry confirmed as he reached for his wand, which was secured safely up the trolls right nostril.

"Troll bogies." Harry murmured as he wiped the mess on his robe.

"_Harry!" _Rachel exclaimed. A few seconds later, she appeared through the door along with Professor Dumbledore, McGonagall, Snape and Quirrell.

"Oh my goodness…" McGonagall said as she saw the troll. She then saw the two boys and realized where they were and what state they were in.

"Explain yourselves, both of you!"

"Well, what it is-" Harry started, but was cut off by none other than Hermione.

"Its _my _fault, Professor McGonagall." She started.

The Professor were obviously shocked. Hermione was a role and model student, who was breaking the rules.

"Miss Granger?" McGonagall said, encouraging her to continue.

For someone who was always following the rules and told the truth, she was an excellent liar.

"I went looking for the troll. I've read about them and I thought I would be able to handle it. But I was wrong. If these three hadn't come and found me, I would probably be dead. It was just about to kill me when they arrived."

"Be that as it may, Miss Granger, you are a foolish girl. I would have thought more sense would come from you. How could you even think of taking on a full grown mountain troll on your own?" Hermione hung her head low and was waiting for the end. "Five points will be taken from Gryffindor, for your serious lack of judgement. You can leave now, go back to your dormitory. You as well, Miss Potter. Thank you for alerting us."

Hermione, her head still low and eyes glued to the floor, slumped out of the destroyed bathroom and vanished through the door, Rachel soon following her.

Just as she ended, Harry looked around as he waited for her to start on them, and saw that the bottom of Snape's robe was torn and bloody, before he could see anything else, Snape saw what he was looking at and used the rest of his cloak to hide the blood.

"As for you two gentleman. I hope you realize how fortunate you are. Not many first years could battle a full sized mountain troll and live to tell the tail." Harry closed his eyes and awaited punishment, which never came. "Five points will be awarded to each of you."

Harry opened his eyes in wonder and smiled at Ron.

"For shear dumb luck." McGonagall ended. She then turned to talk to Dumbledore and Quirrell spoke up to the children. "Perhaps you ought to go, it might wake up." He gave a little chuckle as the two walked out the door.

When they got to the Tower, they weren't surprised to see everybody up and noisy. After everyone had got back up to the dormitory, they had been sent up the Halloween feast, at least, enough for all of them.

Hermione and Rachel though, stood right by the portrait, waiting for them to enter. They stood in silence for a while until they said their Thank yous and went into the Dormitory properly to begin their own feast. From then on, Hermione became part of the little group, helping the boys when their homework wasn't done. Rachel also enjoyed her company as she was one of the very few people who talked to her like a person and not an object with no meaning in life.

The weather turned cold as they came into November. It began very icy and grey and every morning the ground was frosty white.

November had also meant something else; Quidditch. Harry had been turning up to training sessions every Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Wood had been hoping to keep him as a secret, but somehow the news got out. He had been given a book from Hermione called 'Quidditch through the ages', which turned into a very good and interesting book.

It was the day of the Quidditch Match. Gryffindor VS Slytherin.

The four friends were sat in the great Hall for breakfast, but Harry didn't feel like eating.

"_You're just nervous. You'll be fine. You should try to eat." _Rachel said as she tried to encourage her Brother, but Harry only shook his head as he flicked the piece of bacon about with his fork.

"Take a bit of toast mate, c'mon." Ron said as he attempted the same thing.

"Ron's right, Harry. You're going to be need your strength today." Hermione chirped.

"Im not hungry, okay?" Harry replied and looked at them all. Before he could say anything further he heard from behind him, "Good luck today, Potter."

"_Oh God." _Rachel muttered at she continued to eat her scrambled eggs.

Harry and Hermione turned to see Professor Snape behind them, his icy black eyes peering into Harry's. "After facing a troll, a small game of Quidditch should be easy work for you. Even if it is against Slytherin." He smiled nastily as the children and wondered off, limping as he went.

"_I really hope whatever it was hurt him. Badly." _Rachel said as she noticed him walk.

"That does explain the blood." Harry murmured. Instantly, he began piecing an idea in his head, Rachel following him all the way.

"Blood?" Hermione asked.

"_You're joking?" _Rachel asked and he shook his head.

"No, im not. Listen. Remember the night on Halloween? I saw blood on his robes when McGonagall was talking to us. I think he tried to get past that three headed dog when everyone was running about. Whatever Hagrid took from that safe at Gringotts might be down there. He said it was Hogwarts business, very secret."

"So you think that's it?" Hermione asked.

"I think it's what the dog is guarding, and whatever it is, Snape wants it." Harry ended.

All four of them thought about it and decided that it wasn't really any of their business.

A few hours later, Harry left the other three to walked down to the Gryffindor changing rooms.

"Were going to win this year, I know it." Wood said once the whole team were changed and in their Quidditch uniform, which was scarlet red and gold running down the hems. "Alright, time to go. Good luck, everyone."

Wood was standing at the entrance where the Gryffindor team would be flying out of, Harry stood next to him with Fred and George behind them and the three Chasers (Katy Bell, Alicia Spinnet and Angelina Johnson) at the back.

They waited for a few moments until the doors opened and light flooded the room. They all mounted their broom and took off up the pitch, the Slytherin team doing the same the opposite side of the field.

In the middle of the pitch, Harry could just see Madam Hooch waiting for the two teams to surround her. Soon after, the two Captains, Oliver Wood and a Slytherin boy called Marcus Flint, shook hands and waited.

"_Good luck, H." _Rachel said. Harry turned and saw Rachel, Ron and Hermione sitting in front of Hagrid and beside them were Seamus Finnigan, Dean Thomas and Neville Longbottom.

Harry nodded and watched Madam Hooch carefully as she put the whistle to her lips and threw the Quaffle in the air. She blew the whistle and all hell broke loose. Harry flew upwards as Katy Bell grabbed the ball and flew off down the pitch, two other Slytherin Chasers following her closely.

After Gryffindor had scored a couple of time, making it so they were in the lead by 30 points, Harry saw a golden glint out of the corner of his eye. He sped off towards it and saw what he was looking for, The Golden Snitch.

"_C'mon, Go Har- Harry, look out!" _Rachel said. Harry looked to his side briefly to see the Slytherin Seeker Terence Higgs about to crash into him. He moved down slightly and Higgs flew right over him. Harry looked back at the Snitch to see it was replaced by a Bludger.

Just in time, George Weasley batted the ball towards Flint. "You okay Harry?" He asked and Harry nodded in reply.

Soon, another Bludger came his way, and he ducked just in time. He regained his balance, but found that he had to hold on tighter. His broom began bucking, as if trying to launch him off. At the same time, the broom was going higher and higher. The height Harry was at, he would surely die if he let go and fell.

Hermione looked through Hagrid's goggles and looked over towards the Teachers Podium.

"It's Snape, he's jinxing the broom!" She whispered harshly to Rachel and Ron.

"Jinxing the broom?! What do we do?" Ron asked.

"Leave it to me." She said and she rocketed towards the Teachers Podium.

"_Hang on, Harry! Hermione's… urm… gunna do something!" _Rachel yelled.

Harry could only nod in understandment, not that it made much difference as the broom had bucked him off. He was now hanging on for his life.

Hermione drew her wand and inched closer to the Podium. Snape was jinxing Harry broom, he was trying to kill him! And she had the perfect spell in mind.

She saw the familiar blackness of Snape's clock and pointed her want. "Incendio." She whispered. The fire spell caused flames to shoot from her want and onto the cloak. As soon as she saw the flames were rising, she began to run back towards the Gryffindor stand.

Once Harry felt that the broom had stopped its phase, he began to swing from left to right, trying to get himself high enough to latch his legs around the wood. Once he was high enough, he swung his legs over the broom and held on tight as he regained his previous position.

He searched around for the Snitch again, Higgs flying behind it. Harry sped off towards them and got beside Higgs, who tried to knock him off his broom, but failed.

The Snitch soon went a different direction and performed a dive bomb, the two Seekers hurtling after it.

As they were getting closer and closer to the ground, Harry felt Higgs withdraw and fly upwards again, making him smile with delight as he though to himself that he was going to catch the Snitch and win.

"_Chicken fart. Catch it, Harry!" _Rachel yelled in encouragement.

Harry pulled the broom so it was just skimming the grass and stood up on the broom, getting perfect balance before out stretching his hand.

It was only a meter away from him, all he had to do was go forward a bit and…

"WHOA!"

"IS HE ALRIGHT?"

"DID HE BREAK ANYTHING?"

All these shouts were from the Gryffindor house as Harry fell off his broom and rolled to his feet. He felt like something inside of his was gunna explode.

"_You okay, Harry?" _Rachel asked.

"_Yeah, but I think… hang on." _Harry replied. He knew he was going to be sick, or something needed to get out, either way.

A few seconds later, he spat out something. Round, fluttering and golden.

"He's caught the Snitch!" Shouted the commentator, Lee Jordan. "Harry Potter earns 150 points for catching the Snitch!"

As soon as this was said, Madam Hooch blew her whistle and announced, "GRYFFINDOR WINS!"

Throughout the stadium, moans from the Slytherin house and cheers from the Gryffindor house could be heard from miles.

Harry felt wonderful as he held the Snitch for all to see. The Gryffindor team surrounded him and cheered with their house, Wood looking so happy he might of fallen off of his broom.

"GO GO GRYFFINDOR! GO GO GRYFFINDOR! GO GO GRYFFINOR!"

"_I wish you could see Malfoy's face. It's like Christmas has come early." _Rachel stated from over all the noise.


	12. The Mirror of Erised

_**The Mirror of Erised**_

As soon as Harry got out of the Gryffindor changing room, he was nearly tackled to the floor by Hermione as she hugged him, all the time shouting 'It was Snape! He was jinxing your broom!"

While they were walking with Hagrid, they mentioned this and he said, "Nonsense! Why would Snape do that?"

"How should we know? Why did he try and get past that three headed dog on Halloween?" Harry asked.

Hagrid stayed silent for a moment before asking, "Who told you about Fluffy?"

Rachel, who was drinking hot chocolate as they went, spat it out as she laughed. _"Fluffy?!"_

"That thing has a name?" Hermione asked.

"'Course he has a name, he's mine. Bought him of an Greek fella I met in the Hogs head las' year. Then I lent him ter Dumbledore to guard the… urr…" Hagrid began to trail off, so Harry tried to encourage him, but failed.

"Shouldn't have said that… No more questions! Don't ask anymore questions! That's top secret, tha' is."

"But Hagrid, whatever Fluffy's guarding, Snape's trying to steal it." Harry said.

"Listen. Professor Snape is a Hogwarts teacher, one of which who is helping to protect the sto- to protect whatever Fluffy is guarding. He aint 'bout ter steal it."

"So why did he try to kill Harry, then? I know a jinx when I see one. You have to have eye contact, and Snape wasn't blinking." Hermione said.

Hagrid, who had seemed to have lost his temper, said in a deep voice, "Now listen, here. All three of yer. Yer meddling in things that shouldn't be meddled in. What Fluffy's guarding is strictly between Professor Dumbledore and Nicolas Flamel."

"Who's Nicolas Flamel?" Harry asked.

Hagrid, now going as red as a cherry, walked away while muttering to himself, "I shouldn't have said tha'. I should not have said that, I shouldn't 'av said tha'."

Nothing much went on after that. The children went to the Library frequently to look for Nicolas Flamel, Hagrid refused to talk about the matter anymore and Christmas was on it's way, which meant the holidays would soon begin.

When the list of students who were staying for the holidays came round, Harry jumped out of his chair and made sure that his and Rachel's names were down first. So they wouldn't have to go back to Privet Drive with the Dursley's.

Hermione was going home to stay with her parents and Ron was staying at Hogwarts as Mr and Mrs Weasley were going to Romania to visit Ron's brother and dragon expert, Charlie Weasley, the former Quidditch super star.

One afternoon in the Great Hall, Ron had challenged Harry and Rachel to a game of chess, the Twins again him, which they took on happily. About half way through the game, they regretted that decision.

Ron had taken one of their Bishops, both rooks, along with 6 pawns. The Twins hadn't even gotten half of that.

"Knight to E 5." Harry said.

The Wizard chess piece moved to the only safe place it could, or so the Twins thought. Hermione had just come in with her trunk trailing behind her, but didn't say anything as she saw they were in a heated game.

Ron looked around the board, saw what they didn't. "Queen to E 5." He said smugly.

The queen got off of her throne, picked it up and threw it at the knight, making it smash to pieces.

"That's totally barbaric!" Hermione cried.

"That Wizards chess." Ron replied as he took the remains of the knight off the board and out of the way. He then studied her and added, "I see you've packed."  
"See you haven't."

"My mum and dad are going to Romania, remember?"

"Good. You can help these two then. They're going to look in the Library for Flamel."

"But we've looked a hundred times!" Ron exclaimed.

Hermione put her finger to her lips and whispered, "Not in the Restricted Section. Merry Christmas."

She walked off and out of the Hall and Ron muttered, "I think we've had a bad influence on her."

"_Amen." _Rachel said as she tried to focus on the game again.

**BANG!**

**BANG!**

"C'mon, Rach. Get up!" Ron shouted from downstairs in the Gryffindor dorm. The foot step could be heard going away from the girls dorm.

Rachel got up in a sitting position, stretched and swung her legs out of bed and slipped her slippers on. She got her dressing gown on and headed down stairs, making herself promise to kill Ron later as it was 7am.

**BANG!  
BANG!**

"Harry! Wake up!" She heard Ron shout as she entered the dorm. The first thing she saw was the Christmas tree, which she would bet all her money that it wasn't there when she went to bed.

"Merry Christmas, Rachel." Ron greeted when he saw her. She nodded in greeting and sat down in front of the fire.

"Merry Christmas, Harry." Ron greeted again cheerfully.

"_Merry Christmas, bro." _Rachel said as she stared into the fire. It was already looking like the best Christmas she'd ever had.

"Merry Christmas, guys." Harry replied. "What are you wearing?"

"_That's none of your business." _Rachel said, but felt pretty idiotic when Ron replied, "Oh, mum made it." He paused for a moment and said, "Looks like you've got one, too. Both of you, actually."

Rachel snapped her head to look at Ron and Harry asked, unbelievingly, "We've got presents?!"

Ron nodded and said, "Yeah!"

Harry was down and in the dorm like a bullet, his blue dressing gown flying being him.

"What were you expecting? Vegetables?"

"_Would have been better than what I was expecting." _Rachel replied as she took one of the gifts from her pile.

"That one looks like the jumper." Ron said, and he was right. Rachel got a Metallic Purple jumper, the same colour as were wand, with a red R in the middle. Rachel, of course, was taken aback and speechless. She felt like crying, as this was really the only gift she was every given and was extremely thankful for it. She stuck it on immediately and wore her Weasley jumper with pride, hardly able to keep herself from smiling like an idiot.

Harry, as Ron predicted, got a Weasley jumper, but Scarlet red and an H on the front. The rest were from Hagrid, Hermione and Mrs Weasley. Hagrid carved an owl shaped whistle for both of the Twins and Mrs Weasley sent all three of them bucket loads of chocolate, as well as Hermione.

Which left one more present under the tree, addressed to Harry and Rachel. It was extremely light and was wrapped in a stars and moons paper.

Harry unwrapped it carefully, to reveal a silky looking cloak. As soon as Ron saw it, he shouted in excitement.

"I know what that is! That's an invisibility cloak!" Ron said as he put down his box of chocolate frogs.

"_Lemme see that." _Rachel said and extended her hand. She felt the silky cloth, which nearly fell through her fingers. She threw it over her shoulders and Ron said, "Yeah, thought it was. They're really rare, who could have given one to you?"

Rachel, who was to busy pretending to be a ghost, asked, _"Who's it from, what does the letter say?"_

"Letter?" Harry asked as he looked inside the package.

"_Yeah, it fell on the floor when you took the cloak out."_

Harry soon found what she was talking about, and picked the piece of parchment up. It was sort of yellowy, showing that the paper was quite old and on it had very neat joined up handwriting.

_Your Father left this in my possession before he died. It was time it was returned to you._

_Use it well._

"_That's all it says?" _Rachel asked as she let her head come into view.

"Yup, use it well." Harry said. "Now, let me have a go."

The day passed very quickly, much the everyone's disappointment. The Christmas Dinner had been the best without a doubt. Big, huge stuffed turkeys sitting along the four tables.

After dinner, however, Harry got to thinking about looking for Nicolas Flamel. He could go anywhere he wanted with this cloak, even sneak into the restricted section if he was lucky.

Ron had just gone up to bed, tired after eating bucket loads of food, Rachel was about to do the same when Harry said, "Do you reckon we test this out?"

"_What? The cloak?" _

"Yeah. We can do anything we want with this."

Rachel though about it for a while before sitting up, stretching and told him, _"Go get it then."_

"_Not yet. Meet me down here at midnight, no one will be up except the Prefects."_

When Rachel went up to her dorm, harry did the same and laid in his bed, waiting for midnight to come. He wanted to know who this Nicolas Flamel was, what his connection with Dumbledore were, and what was down beneath that trap door. All the sorts of things were going through his mind then, what could be down there like a weapon or something. It must have been valuable. If Snape was 'protecting' it, what other teachers were helping?

Midnight came eventually, and Harry made his way down to the dorm, where Rachel was quietly waiting for him.

They put the cloak on and made there was towards the Library, which was cold, Dark, eerie and creepy. Books were sat at the table open wide for them to see and a couple chairs were left out untidily.

They made there way to the restricted section, unlocked the steel lock, opened the door and walked towards the F section.

"_I cant find Flamel, Harry. What makes you think he's here?"_

"_He has to be. Hagrid looked ashamed of himself when he mentioned Flamel, he knew we'd do research and he __**knew**__ we'd find it in one of these books. He just has to be here." _Harry replied as he put one book back on the shelf and opened a new one. But this time, it came as a shock. A face appeared from the book and gave an ear splitting scream that flooded the whole Library.

"_Shut it, Shut it!" _Rachel yelled as she let a book fall and slammed her hands over her ears.

Harry closed the book instantly, and shoved it back onto the shelf.

"WHO'SE THERE?! SHOW YERSELVES!" Shouted a familiar voice.

"_Filch!" _Rachel exclaimed. _"What do we do? Where's the cloak?"_

Harry looked to where he left the it, which was on an old chair, grabbed it and flung it over both of them and began walking to one of the main isles, trying to see where Filch was. Instead, they found Mrs Norris.

"_There's a door over there. Back away slowly." _Rachel said as she gripped her brothers arm.

They made their way towards the door, but found it was locked. Casting Alohomora, they rushed through the door and locked it again. Before she let out a breath, Harry put his hand over he mouth to prevent her.

"You don't want me as your enemy, Quirrell." Said the icy voice of Snape.

"I-I-I don't know w-what you me- mean, S-S- Severus. I-I-"

Unable to keep in the breath she was holding, she hastily breathed out and back in, making a small, but noticeable noise.

Both the Professors heard it and looked around. After finding no one there, Snape became edgy. Harry and Rachel, both holding their breathes in for dear life, both thought they were found out, as Snape's eyes rested on them.

He brought his attention back to Quirrell and continued, "We'll be having another chat soon. Then we'll be able to see where your loyalties lie."

He turned and walked out of the corridor, leaving Quirrell shaking and muttering to himself as he walked away in the opposite direction.

"_Let's go and hide here for a while." _Rachel said as she edged towards an unlocked door.

They took the cloak off and took deep breathes, trying to figure out what had just happened. When they caught their breathes, Harry notices they were in some sort of old classroom. There were desks and chairs up against one of the walls, and on the opposite side of the mess, was a mirror.

This mirror was about 10ft high and six foot wide, covering a good half of the wall.

There was a strange inscription on the wall, which said 'Erised stra ehru oyt ube cafru oyt on wohsi'.

"_I think it's Latin." _Rachel said as she came nearer to the mirror. As she came closer, she noticed that she wasn't the only one in the mirror, nor was Harry.

They stood in the middle of the mirror, and behind them were two adult figures; a man and a woman.

The man and pitch black, untidy hair. He wore oval shape glasses and very deep, gentle eyes. Rachel noticed that this mans hair was like Harry's, which stuck up from the back. She also noticed that his eyes were similar to hers and were both a Hazel colour.

Harry noticed similar qualities as well. Rachel's hair was black, but long, which was usually tied back in a pony tail, whereas the womans hair was a deep brown, but was the same wavy style and length. Harry notices her eyes, just as Rachel had noticed the mans. They were bright green, like his, and the same shape as his.

It took a while for Harry to understand who these people were. Rachel had already come to a conclusion, but decided to stay quiet.

"Mum?" Harry asked the woman. She smiled and nodded her head, letting a lone tear slide down her cheek. The man put his arm around her in comfort, but smiled at the two children as well.

"Dad?" He asked again. The man smiled and nodded also, letting his teeth come into view.

Unnoticed before, Rachel began to see other in the mirror. Older men and woman who were stood in the background, waving at them.

"_Do you really think its them? Do you think they're really here?" _Rachel asked, but got no reply. Harry stood in front of the mirror, watching hungrily as he got closer to the mirror so he was flat up against it. He couldn't hear her, he was to caught up. He was, for the first time, looking at his _family. _The one thing he wanted, but couldn't have.

The night drew on, until the sun was just over the horizon. Both the twins sat and stared at the mirror, trying to take in everything.

"_Maybe we should head back now, before everyone wakes up." _Rachel said as she got up. _"We can come back later, and bring Ron this time too. I'd like him to meet them."_

Harry considered this, and agreed.

They went back to their common room, got dressed and waited. As soon as Ron was awake, Harry was onto him before the other could hear what he had to say.

"Me and Rachel have something to tell you. We were looking for Flamel last night in the restricted section of the Library on the ground floor, but came across an old classroom, in this room was an old room was a mirror and-"

"Whoa. Hold on, slow down." Ron said as he sat up in bed. "Okay, tell me again, but _slowly _this time."

Later, night had decended once again, the three of them got under the cloak and went towards the Library, through the restricted section and back into the old class.

Harry whipped off the cloak and ran to the mirror, Rachel and Ron at his heels.

"There! You see them, don't you? They're-"

"That's me!" Ron exclaimed. "Only, im head boy. And im holding the Quidditch cup! And bloody hell! Im Quidditch captain too!"

Harry and Rachel looked closely into the mirror and saw what they had seen before, their family with their parents in the front.

"I look good. Hey, do you think this mirror shows the future?" Ron asked.

"How can it? Both out parents are dead." Harry said in confusion.

To him and his sister, the mirror showed their family, but to Ron, it showed him being… well, the best. He was head boy, Quidditch captain and winner of the cup.

Neither of the twins understood this, but quietly decided between themselves to come back the next night.

They sat there on the floor in front of the mirror, Harry once again drinking in everything he could, while Rachel was trying to figure out what it was, and what it done. They sat there for a while before hearing a gentle voice saying, "Back again, hmm?"

Harry snapped his head up and saw that on one of the old desks was a man. He wore half moon glasses and an emerald green cloak. Professor Dumbledore.

"We… we were just-" Harry began, but was interrupted.

"I see that you, like many others before you, have discovered the delights of the Mirror of Erised." Dumbledore said as he got to his feet and walked towards them. He sat down behind temand lookedinto th mirror.

"I trust that you now know what it does." Once he saw the twins shack their heads, he continued, "Let me give you a clue. The happiest man alive, would look into the mirror, and see him as he was. His own reflexion would be there, smiling at him, with everything he desired."

"_Of course. Ron sees himself being the best, that's what he wants… I think." _Rachel said.

"So, it shows us what we want. Whatever we want." Harry said.

"Yes, and no. The Mirror of Erised shows us nothing more or less then our hearts deepest and most desperate desires. You two, see yourselves standing in the mirror with you family. Your friend, Ronald, who has always been one of the youngest of six brothers, therefore overshadowed, sees himself doing everything they did. His brother, Charlie, the Quidditch captain. His eldest, Bill, wearing the head boy badge with pride.

"But what you must know, is that men and woman have wasted away in front of this mirror, enchanted from what they see. The mirror with be transported to a new home tomorrow, so I ask that neither of you go looking for it again, okay?"

The twins both nodded and Dumbledore said, "Now, why don't you two get that cloak back on, and get off to bed?"


	13. Nicolas Flamel

_**Nicolas Flamel**_

Hermione came back the day before term started. She was horrified when they told her they had been out of the dormitory after midnight, but was then disappointed when they told her they hadn't found out who Nicolas Flamel was. She then demanded that they did further research and took them to the Library.

She gave each of them a book, each with a different category.

As the hours wore by, Rachel got more tired. She laid she head on one of the pages of the book as she slowly began to doze. Harry, who was flipping through the pages while fiddling with a Wizards Collectable Card, suddenly exclaimed, "I found him!" He received many shushes and hushes and then whispered, "I found Flamel! On Dumbledore's Wizard Card! Look, Professor Dumbledore is famous for his defeating the dark wizard, Grindelwald in 1945, for the discovery of uses for Dragons blood **and **his work on alchemy with his partner, Nicolas Flamel!"

After hearing this, Hermione jumped up and ran off somewhere.

Hermione came back a few minutes later with a massive book. "I had you looking in the wrong section! How could I be so stupid!" She said as she slammed the book on the table (making Rachel jump and banging her knees into the table)in frustration. "I checked this out weeks ago for a bit of light reading."

Ron, who had wide eyes, muttered, "This is light?" Earning him a death glare.

Hermione flipped through the pages, her eyes scanning each page viciously for the word Flamel. After a few moments, she stopped and but her finger on one of the names.

"Look, here he is. 'Nicolas Flamel is the only known maker of the Philosophers stone."

She looked up expectantly, only to see the three of them looking blackly back at her.

"Honestly, don't any of you read?" Hermione said as she flipped the book round so they could read it for themselves.

The passage they read told them about the Elixir of Life, which was produced by the Philosophers stone. The Elixir would grant the drinker an immortal life.

"So that's what Snape's after!" Said Ron. "That's under the door!"

"Exactly." Hermione said as she scanned the page for more information.

Soon after, it was announced that another Quidditch match, Gryffindor vs Hufflepuff, was going to be refereed by Snape.

The match turned out to be a success, and a record breaker. Gryffindor won by 160 points as Harry had found and caught the Snitch within 3 minutes. Gryffindor were now in the lead for the house cup

A couple of months passed from the Quidditch match. Soon, it was the Easter Holidays, and most of the teachers (And Hermione) began to think about revision for the end of year exams so they could get into second year, so began to pile them up homework and extra essays. On top of that, they were still from time to time looking for stuff on the Philosophers stone and Nicolas Flamel, trying to learn as much as they could about him, making them be in the Library a lot more often.

One of the days they were there, they saw Hagrid behind a whole load of books, each with a different title, but along the same lines; Dragons.

"_What's he up to?" _Rachel asked as she looked up from her book.

Later that week, they got a letter from Hagrid asking if he wanted to have tea with him. She did want to know about what he was up to, but the others could do that without her and tell her when they got back. For now, she would have to wait in bed and pray that her skull pounding Migraine would go away.

"Hagrid," Hermione started. She didn't want to seem to cheeky in asking about it, but she still was eager to know. "Is there anything else? You know, protecting the stone other than Fluffy?"

Hagrid stopped mid sip of his tea and then slowly lowered it. "Yer found out 'bout tha' then did yer?"

The three of them nodded, but Hagrid shook his head. "Well, I cant. Reason bein' is cuz' I don't know meself. Besides, yer know to much anyways, an' it wouldn't be a good idea fer you to get caught up in it all, so drop it, yer hear me?"

Before anyone could answer, a whistling sound came from the fireplace.

"Oh!" Hagrid gasped. He put on a pair of brown oven gloves and took something from a cauldron over the fire.

"Ah! Hmmm! Hot, hot!" Hagrid said as he took a round shaped object from the fire and set it down on the table. "Careful now, its hot."

"What is it?" Hermione asked.

"I know what that is." Ron said with a smile. His smile dropped a little and he looked a little confused. "How did you get one?"

"I won it. Off of a stranger I met down the pub. Seem' glad ter get rid of it, fer a matter o' fact."

The object gave a sudden jolt. From the top all the way down the middle, began a small crack. The egg gave another jolt and the crack became bigger, and bigger, until you could just see what was inside it.

With a final nudge, the egg cracked open to reveal a baby Dragon.

"Is that… a Dragon?! Hagrid you do know that its illegal to-" Hermione started but was interrupted by Ron.

"That's not just a dragon. That's a Norwegian Ridgeback. My brother Charlie works with these in Romania."

The small dragon looked around, making little noises at it turned. It did a small sneeze, making a few sparks erupt from its nose.

"'Ello, Norbert." Hagrid said. He put to fingers under the dragons chin and began tapping. Norbert looked up and burped, sending flames from its mouth and onto Hagrid bushy beard.

While trying to but the flames out, he said, "Well, he'll 'av ter be trained up a bit 'o course."

As they continued to stare at the dragon, Hagrid looked up suddenly and said, "Who's tha'?"

Harry snapped his head round and just saw the persons very blonde hair go from the window.

"Malfoy." Harry said in worry. Hagrid replied with a sigh and told them to get back to the castle.

They walked back in silence, hoping not to make any noise and bring attention to themselves.

Just as they thought they were safe while walking up Gryffindor Tower, McGonagall came from round the corner, followed by Malfoy, who had a stupid smirk on his face.

"Good evening." McGonagall said, but didn't look happy at all. She gestured with her hand to start walking and they did, towards her office.

"Nothing, I repeat, nothing gives the student the right to walk about the school at one o'clock in the morning. Miss Granger, I would have expected more sense from you. As a result, fifty points will be taken from Gryffindor."

"_Fifty_?!" Harry exclaimed.

"Each." McGonagall added. "And to ensure it doesn't happen again, all four of you shall receive detention."

At this Malfoy's smile went down a little. "Excuse me, Professor, but perhaps I heard you wrong. Did you saw four of us?"

"No. You heard me correct, Mr Malfoy. Unless I am mistaken, you to are up and out of bed. Like I said, Nothing gives the pupils the right to walk about. You to will receive detention."

Malfoy's smile completely dropped as he glared as the other three.

"Right, back to your dormitories." McGonagall said. "Oh, and Potter? A moment, if you please."

"See you back at the Common Room." Ron whispered as he and Hermione headed off. Harry stood expectantly at his Head of House's desk and waited.

"It does concern me that there are usually four of you running around the school grounds. Yet tonight there was only three. If I may ask, where is Miss Potter? I only ask as she is always, if I may say so, attached to your hip."

"She has a migraine. She said she was going to get some sleep. She's had it for a few days now, but it seems to be getting worse."

"Is that the reason she fainted in Transfiguration?"

Harry nodded, feeling uncomfortable talking about his sisters pain.

"Well, first of all you should have told me. Second, if she doesn't get better by tomorrow morning, take her to Madam Pomfrey."

Harry nodded as he felt the tears well up. He hated the though of seeing her in pain, and the bad part was there was nothing he could do about it.

"Alright. Off you go." McGonagall said.

Harry headed back towards the Common Room. Rachel had always been famous for her headaches, but not Migraines. She wasn't the type to cry over pain easily, heck, she broke three ribs after being beaten by Dudley once when she was 7 and not a tear was shed then, but only this morning had Hermione said she woke up early to find that Rachel had been crying in her sleep. It made him feel sick.

Once he was back in the Common Room, he wasn't surprised to see Ron and Hermione waiting for him.

"What did she say?" Ron asked and at the same time Hermione said, "Did she expel you?"

"No. Just wondered where Rachel was, you know, since she's always with us."

The other two saw how much it hurt to say, so Hermione murmured, "Do you want me to check on her?"

Harry nodded slowly and Hermione hopped to the girl Dorm and came back a few minutes later to report that Rachel had a slight temperature, but fine for now. Harry nodded, feeling a little better with the information and claimed he was going to bed, Ron and Hermione following suit shortly after.

Even though he was tired, sleep wouldn't come. He laid there until 6:47, thats when he heard Hermione yell for him to come down to the Common Room.

"HARRY! HARRY, YOU HAVE TO COME DOWN, NOW!" Hermione screamed.

He got his dressing gown on and practically soared down the stairs in panic.

"What? What is it?" Harry asked.

"Go get Madam Pomfrey, it's Rachel. I woke up a few minutes ago and heard her breathing heavily. I looked over and saw her entire pillow was soaked, she's crying her eyes out, Harry, she was shaking, she's sweating- just go get Madam Pomfrey!" Hermione explained.

"Alright, what is all this abo- Potter! Get back here this instant!" McGonagall said as she came into the Common Room wearing her own gown and he hair hastily tied up. Harry sped past her, ignored her and ran towards the Hospital Wing.

"Madam Pomfrey! Madam Pomfrey!" Harry yelled as he banged on the nurses door. A woman came to the door and he said hurriedly, "Its my Sister. She's ill, you have to come, quickly!" Harry said. As the words left his mouth it didn't really sound like a convincing story, but nevertheless, Madam Pomfrey took a phial from one of the shelves, examined it and was at Harry's heels as he ran back towards Gryffindor Tower.

"Out of the way, out of the way!" Said the nurse as she entered the Girls Dorm with the phial secured safely in her hands.

After a slight struggle, they were able to pry Rachel mouth open and tip some of the potion into her mouth. After Rachel was still, both McGonagall and Madam Pomfrey levitated her into the air and out of the Common Room.

Without even a goodbye, they closed the door and went through the portrait.

Before Harry could follow, Hermione grabbed his arm and said, "It's best if we stay here. Madam Pomfrey knows what she's doing, she's a skilled healer. Im sure McGonagall will let us know in class today."

With a nod, Harry slowly climbed his way back up to the boys dorm, shaking on the way there as he felt Rachel's mind drift and get farther away from his own.

He got dressed, went back down to the Common Room and waited for the other two to come.

"Stop worrying, will you? Im sure she'll be fine." Ron said when they got to Transfiguration.

McGonagall came into the class and began the lesson. She didn't really look over at the three very much, only when Hermione answered questions.

After the lesson had ended, she told them that Rachel would be fine. She was in very capable hands and would be better in a few days. She also told them to go to Filch's office at midnight tonight.

"Maybe we should start on that Potions- Harry, where are you going?" Hermione said/asked as Harry went in the opposite direction from The Gryffindor Tower and towards the Hospital Wing.

"_My heads killing me, but im a little better." _Rachel said as she lied in bed, just about managing a smile.

"Well you're lucky. Me and the others have detention with Malfoy." Harry said as he sat on the chair next to the bed.

"_Got caught, huh?"_

"Yeah. Malfoy snitched on us, but he was up as well."

"_Dumbass." _Rachel said in a sleepy tone. Soon, she was off with the large Zs and Madam Pomfrey sent Harry back to the Common Room.


	14. The Forbidden Forest

_**The forbidden forest.**_

Harry, Ron and Hermione walked towards Filch's office as they were told. They met Malfoy there and waited for the caretaker.

When he did come, he marched them across Hogwarts grounds and took them to Hagrid's hut. He didn't seem all that happy from when they last saw him.

"Norbert's gone. Dumbledore found out and sen' him to Romania ter live in a colony."

"That's good, right? He'll be with other dragons and be free." Hermione said.

"Yeah, but wha' if he don' Romania? Wha' if the other dragon are mean 'ter him? He's only a baby after all."

This time, Filch spoke up. "Pull yourself together, man! You're going into the forest after all!" He paused and muttered, "You'd better keep your wits about ya."

"Forest?!" Malfoy exclaimed. "I thought that was a joke! We cant go in there!"

"And why not, Mr Malfoy?" Filch asked. In all honesty, Malfoy was afraid of what was in the Forbidden Forest, but decided to say, "Students aren't allowed."

"Yeah, alright." Filch said. He began to walk back and said, "Nighty night."

As soon as Filch left, Malfoy turned to Hagrid and said, "Im **not** going into the forest."

Hagrid gave a little chuckle and replied, "Yer are if you wanna stay as Hogwarts. Anyways, we'll be going inter the forest tonight, to do somethin' very important, but dangerous, so listen clearly. See that silvery stuff on the ground? Tha's unicorn blood. Looks like its been hurt bad by somethin' an' were goin' ter find out what. Nothin will hurt yeh as long as yer with either me, or Fang." He gestured the dog at his heels.

A few minutes later, they entered the forest, Malfoy muttering, "Wait till my Father hears about this…" along the way.

To cover more ground, Hagrid decided to split up into groups. Ron and Hermione were going with him and Harry and Malfoy were going with Fang. Harry complained about this silently but took the lantern from Hagrid, which Malfoy took from Harry.

As they walked through the forest, Malfoy continued his meaningless threats.

"If I didn't know any better, Draco, I'd say you were scared." Harry said.

"Scared?" Malfoy said as he tried to act like he was fine.

Eventually, they did find something. A Unicorn. A dead Unicorn, by the looks of it. But the Unicorn wasn't all that was there.

Some sort of… beast was there. They couldn't see him properly, but it look like it was… drinking the blood from the Unicorn.

Even Fang knew this was bad news. He began to bark, loudly. The figure rose its head up and noticed them, the Unicorn blood dripping from his chin as he smiled.

Malfoy screamed and ran off, Fang in front my a few feet, but Harry stood frozen to the spot, unable to move. The figure stood and slowly made his way towards Harry, licking his lips along the way.

Harry then found that his legs were awake and began to walk backwards, but tripped on a tree root.

He fell backwards and began to crawl, but found himself cornered and his back hit a tree trunk.

The hooded figure got closer and closer, until it was nearly able to touch him. Harry felt different, his lightning scar began to tingle, then sting. He closed his eyes, waiting for the worst to come, but it never did. He heard some sort of cry, a battle cry. He opened his eyes to see some sort of horse. No, this was no horse. This was a centaur. Half man, half horse.

The centaur got up on it's hind legs and kicked the figure with its front, making whatever it was flee back into the forest.

Harry was breathing heavily as his scar calmed down, and stood up.

"Harry Potter. You must leave. The forest is not a place for you." Said the centaur. Before the centaur could speak again, Harry asked, "What was that thing you saved me from?"

"A monstrous creature. Only someone, or something, that has nothing to lose will slay a Unicorn. The blood of a Unicorn will keep you… alive. It can even save you if you are a seconds away from death itself. But when the moments the blood touches your lips, you are living a cursed life. You have killed such an innocent and beautiful animal to safe yourself."

"But who would do such a thing? Surely death is better?" Harry said.

"Yes, unless you have something to gain from it. I have seen some drink to keep them alive for a certain period of time, until they move on to something else."

Instantly, a thought came to Harry. _The Philosopher's stone!_

"Come, you should leave this place. Climb on my back, and I will take you back to Hagrid."

Harry did as he was told, and clambered onto the white centaurs body, which was unexpectedly comfortable.

He kept thinking about the stone, Snape, and what that creature was. He didn't know why, but he knew they were all connected somehow. What was with his scar tingling?

Eventually, they did come across the others. Hermione squealed in delight as Hagrid said, "Hello there, Firenze."

"Harry Potter. This is where I leave you. You're safe now. I wish you good luck." Same Firenze as he bowed. He stood up straight and galloped away.

When they got back to the Common Room, Harry began to tell Ron and Hermione about what had happened.

He told them about his theory about Voldemort, Snape and the Stone, and they seemed to believe him somewhat.

When they finished, they sat by the fire and watched the flames. A while later, Ron announced that he was tired and went up to bed, Harry following him shortly after.

A few days later, Rachel was allowed out from the Hospital Wing, but had to go back every night so that Madam Pomfrey could do a check up.

"_So, how was detention?" _Rachel asked when she got back.

Harry told her about what had happened and she began to think along the same lines as Harry.

"_Maybe we could tell Dumbledore?" _Rachel suggested. Harry shook his head and replied, "We don't have enough proof. We cant just go up to the Headmaster and say one of his trusted teachers is trying to steal the stone."

"_I guess, but what are we supposed to do?" _

"I guess we don't do anything." Harry said as he scratched his scar, making Rachel do the same.

Ever since the incident in the forest, both scars had been hurting, burning.

Soon, the exams came and went, leaving the four children Harry that it was finally over. No more tests, revision and the homework pile was going to decrease again.

On one hot day, both the twins scars began to set of fireworks, making it even worse for the both of them.

"It keeps burning." Harry said as he rubbed his forehead.

"Its happened before, hasn't it?" Hermione asked.

"Yeah, but not like this."

"Go to Madam Pomfrey." Ron suggested.

"Why? We're not sick." Harry thought for a few seconds before adding, "I think it's a warning. It means dangers coming."

Just then, they heard Hagrid whistling on an old flute, but it had a beautiful sound to it. Harry felt like a lightning bolt had come down and hit him on the head. He began to walk towards Hagrid while saying to the others, "Don't you think it's strange that what Hagrid has always wanted is a dragon, and then a stranger comes along and just happen to have one? I mean, who walks around these days with dragon eggs in their pockets? Especially since it's illegal. Why didn't I see it before?"

The four of them ran the rest of the way and Harry practically yells, "Hagrid! The man who gave you the dragon egg, what did he look like?"

Without hesitation or suspicion, Hagrid answers, "Dunno, did'n get a very good look at his face."

"Well, what did he say, I mean, he must have talked?"

"'Course. He ask'd me what I was like with animals, told him 'bout Fluffy. Then 'e offered me the dragon egg, wonderin' if I could control him, I then replied tha' the thing with any beas' is ter know how to calm it. Take Fluffy fer example, yer jus' play him a bit er music, an' he falls straight ter sleep."

As soon as the words left him mouth, Hagrid knew he had made a huge mistake. The children looked to one another in panic and Hagrid said, "I should'n of told yer tha'."

Before he could say another word, the four told of, Harry in front. He ran to Professor McGonagall's office and said in huffed breathes, "We… h-have to see P-Professor Dumbledore… immediately

McGonagall stared at the children at first and then continued, "Im afraid that the Headmaster is not here."

"_Great timing." _Rachel said.

Harry ignored her and said, "But this is important!" Before he could stop himself, he spluttered out, "This is about the Philosophers… stone…"

At first, she looked shocked, then angry, then back to shocked. "How do you know about the stone? Who told you?"

Harry, ignoring her, added, "Someone is going to try and steal it!"

"Well, I don't know how you found out about the stone, but I can assure it is under strict protection. Professor Dumbledore will be back tomorrow. Now, will you all go back to your dormitory? Quietly."

Shoulders slumped in defeat, the four sluggishly came out of the office and towards the Entrance Hall where they were stopped by Snape.

"Now, now, now. What would four young Gryffindor's be doing inside, on a day like this?"

"We were doing as we were told." Harry spat.

"_Nice form, H."_

Snape looked at Harry ferociously, daring him to speak again. Harry didn't, of course, but kept his ground.

"We were just going to our Common Room." Hermione said.

"Then why don't you stop wasting my time and go?" Snape sneered. As they walked up one of the staircases, Snape called, "And mind that attitude, Potter. Wouldn't want anymore detentions now, would we?"

Harry couldn't believe how much he hated Snape. He loathed him, despised him. He hoped more than anything that next year he would be sacked or something.

When they got to the Common Room, Hermione asked, "What are we going to do now?"

That was a question. With Dumbledore gone, Snape could get passed the enchantments without distraction now. And he seemed an awful lot more nastier than usual. All these thoughts wondered around Harry's head before he said confidently, "Were going down that trap door. Tonight before he gets a chance to."

"Are you bloody mad?!" Ron exclaimed. "What makes you think were gunna be able to get past them spells n' stuff?"

"If Snape can, so can we." Harry said.

"Unless you aint noticed, Snape it a Hogwarts teacher. Were eleven in case you didn't know."

"What else are we supposed to do? Wait here so he can give the stone to Voldemort?"

As this, Ron said nothing, but Hermione said, "Well I think we should."

"Don't you know that if we get caught, we'll be expelled?" Harry asked.

"You're joking? Professor Flitwick told me the results of my charms exam. There is _no way _they're letting me go after that."

A.N: Sorry if I've been a bit rushed. I won't be updating for a while, I've got exams coming up, so I need to do a lot of revision and stuff, sooo yeah. I wont be updating for about 2-3 weeks, sorry.


	15. Through the Door

_**Through the door**_

All four of them had agreed to do this at night. They would meet down in the Common Room, sneak out under the Twins cloak and 'go with it' as it went along.

Hermione, typically, had to wake Rachel up before going down to the Common Room. They met the boys, The Cloak tucked safely under Harry's arm.

"Ready? All got wands?" Harry asked. Once they were good to go, they headed for the portrait, but were stopped.

"Where do you think your going?" Said a voice by the fire. They all turned and saw Neville Longbottom, Trevor sat quietly on his shoulder.

"Your gunna sneak about again, aren't ya?" Neville said with a quiver.

"Neville, look-" Harry started, but Neville cut him off.

"NO! I wont let you! You'll get Gryffindor into trouble again!" Neville though about it for a moments and then stuttered, "I… I'll fight you!" He got into a fighting position, fists in balls at his side.

"_Now that is a great way to fight. Face beautifully presented, ready to be buttered black and blue… brilliant." _Rachel criticised.

Hermione drew her wand and said, "Neville, im dreadfully sorry about this. Pertrificus totalus!"

Within a second, Neville stood up straight, the sudden movement making Trevor hop off of him. He went very blue in the face and stiffly fell to the ground.

"_My respect for you has just gone through the roof." _Rachel said as she stared at the petrified boy.

A few moments of silence passed between the group before Ron said, "You're a little scary sometime. Brilliant, but scary."

They headed towards the portrait and brought the cloak over their heads. After they all squeezed under the cloak, they walked carefully towards the third floor corridor.

They unlocked the door with ease and were horrified when they saw that a harp was playing, and the three headed dog was sound asleep, its paw nowhere near the trap door, the lock on it open.

"Snape's already been here." Harry said as he inched forward. "C'mon. I cant lift this on my own."

They managed to open the trap door and crouched over it, Ron looking down into total darkness.

"Now. I'll go down first. Stay up here until I call you," He says this to Rachel, who nods. "But if something does happen-"

"_Harry…" _Rachel said in a worried voice.

"Get yourselves out." Harry ended.

"_Harry…" _Rachel repeated.

This time, Harry heard her, a lot more clearly. He suddenly realized that the room was as it was the first time they came here, gloomy.

"Does it seem quiet to you?" Harry asked shakily.

Hermione craned her neck slightly and reported, "The harp. Its stopped playing."

Silence enveloped the children, who felt like it was the best idea to stay as still as they could.

If was only when Ron moaned, "EERRR!" They all looked at him to see that a wet, slobbery substance had appeared on his shirt. "YUK!"

"Quiet!" Hermione whispered harshly, but soon began to take in sharp breathes as she looked up, noticing the three headed dog towering over them.

The dog gave a howl, in which Harry took as a queue to run or jump. He jumped straight down the hole and into pitch black. Hermione followed him, Rachel after her and Ron soon after.

They all landed in different spots, which was surprising, in a very odd looking pile of… plants?

Immediately, something began to poke at Rachel's legs, then slowly wrap around them. It wasn't happening to just her but the others too.

Opposite her, Ron was struggling for his life to get free, to her right, Harry was doing the same, but to her left, Hermione was staying perfectly still. Being as she was the smartest of all of them, she decided it would be smart to follow her lead.

"Stop moving, both of you! This is Devils Snare. Try and relax, if you keep moving, it will only kill you faster."

"Kill us faster?! Yeah, NOW I CAN RELAX!" Ron said as he began to try and hit the plants.

Hermione only sighed. A few moments later, she began to sink, lower and lower, until she had completely vanished.

"Hermione!" The boys cried.

"Do as I say, trust me! Relax, stay still!" Hermione shouted from somewhere under the vines, but from under all the layers, her voice was impossible to hear.

A moment later, Rachel began to sink as well, Harry screaming for both the girls at this point.

"You okay?" Hermione asked as she rubbed her wrist. Rachel nodded in response as she got up and nursed her injured knee.

"_Harry! Do as she says, relax!"_

"_Rachel?! Where are you?" _Harry yelled back.

"_Do as I say, you idiot!"_

A few seconds of silence (besides Ron dim screaming) passed and Harry son followed the girls.

"HARRY!" Ron screamed, struggling more than even more.  
"He's not relaxing, is he?" Hermione said.

"Apparently not." Harry replied as he got off of the floor.

"We've got to do something! I remember reading something about Devil Snare in Herbology, hang on a sec… Devil Snare, Devil Snare… is deadly fun… but sulks in the sun!"

Hermione drew her wand and pointed it at the Devil Snare. "Lumos Salem!" Bursts of light came from the tip of her wand and shot into the plants. Soon after, Ron came tumbling out of the Devil Snare, his face purple from lack of oxygen from where the vines wrapped around his mouth and nose.

Once he caught his breathe back, he said edgily, "Lucky we didn't panic."

"Lucky Hermione pays attention in Herbology." Harry corrected.

Just then, the four could hear a fluttering, very faintly, from the next door onward.

"Wait… what's that?" Hermione asked, straining to hear the noise of flapping and fluttering in the next room.

"Don't know. Sounds like wings." Harry said as he approached the door. He opened it slowly to see a vast room. Above his head were many small birds- no. No they were keys.

"_You have to catch one of the keys on that broom, I think." _Rachel said as she walked towards the lone broom on the other side of the room.

Ron and Hermione had gone to the door, which appeared to be locked, and tried casting the unlocking charm, which of course failed.

Hermione let out a frustrated groan and said, "What are we going to do? There must be a thousand keys up there."

"Maybe we need to look for an old fashioned one? Rusty, shinny, broken-"

"There! I see it! The one with the broken wing!" Harry said as he pointed to one of the keys. Half of its wing had been torn off, making it difficult to fly as it flapped around the room with the rest.

Soon, Harry was up in the air on the broom, going round and round the room until, finally, he caught the key, but began getting chased by the other, which were much faster. He began to dive to the ground and threw the key to Hermione, who jumped to catch it. The three on the floor rushed to the door and opened it hastily.

"Harry, now!" Ron yells once he was at the other side of the door.

Harry heard this and rushed towards the door, his broom just got through the door before the other closed it.

The next room didn't seem to be much of a problem as the others. This one had seemed to be done already. A troll who was looking around confused, didn't notice as the children sneaked past in the cloak.

"How many more of these are there?" Ron complained. "I wouldn' be surprised if every Professor took part in this."

They continued to walk and were greeted by large white marble doors. When they finally opened, they were in a murky looking room.

"Do you think its some sort of graveyard?" Hermione asked.

"This is no graveyard." Ron said. He stepped foreword into the dark surrounding and squinted his eyes to get a better look. Once he was satisfied, he nodded his head and stated, "It's a wizards chess board."

At his words, the whole room lit up, revealing black and white pieces facing eachother. In front of the door they needed to get through, was a set of white chess pieces, except they were much bigger. Three times the size of an average 11 year old.

They began to walk towards the door, but were shot back as the pawns began to draw their swords. They all backed away again and the pawns withdrew.

"I think this is McGonagall's one. She Transfigured the pieces to move." Hermione said. "What are we going to do?"

"It's obvious, aint it? We'll play our way across the room." Ron said, he stepped foreword to look at the black pieces. "Alright. Harry… you'll be the Kings side Bishop. Hermione, you'll be the Queen side castle and Rachel… you'll be the Queens pawn."

Rachel's eyes went wide as he said. She wasn't an expert at chess, but she knew that the pawn was the most vulnerable piece.

"Don't worry, I know a trick with the Queens pawn."

"_You'd bloody better had." _Rachel threatened. She looked over at her position very uncomfortably, her fists in balls.

"What about you?" Harry asked.

"Me?" Ron started. He looked at the pieces and ended, "I'll be the king side knight."

The children got into their positions and waited for instruction.

The white queens pawn went foreword two spaces, making the game officially begun.

"Wait. Ron, do you think this is going to be like real wizards chess?" Said Hermione with a horrified look.

Ron thought about this for a second and then shouted, "You there!" He pointed at the black kings pawn. "D5!"

The pawn next to Rachel moved foreword two spaces as well, making it vulnerable to attack.

The white piece then took out its sword, and ran it through the black marble, making it smash and crack. It took the sword out and brought it down on the black pawn's back, spreading the marble remained all over the floor.

Ron gulped nervously and then said, "Yes, Hermione. I think this is gunna be exactly like wizards chess."

It took nearly half an hour in total for the pieces to spread out fully and take each others ranks.

In the end, the white pieces that were left was a few pawns, the king, queen, knight and bishop. For the black pieces, some of the pawns, including Rachel, Ron's knight, Harry's bishop, Hermione's Rook, the King and queen.

Ron seemed to be in a struggle for a while and Rachel looked around from her pawns back.

"_Hang on… No!" _Rachel exclaimed.

"What?" Harry asked.

"_Look around. Look at the pieces." _Rachel said in horror.

Harry did as advised and saw what she was talking about, he to in horror of the outcome.

"Wait!" Harry yelled.

"You've seen it then?" Ron said. He sat on his knights back with a grim look on his face.

"What? What is it?" Hermione asked.

"He's going to sacrifice himself." Harry replied.

"No! You cant, there much be another way!" Hermione cried.

"Do you wanna stop Snape from getting that stone, or not?" He spat back. "This is chess. There must be sacrifices to win."

He turned to look at Harry and Rachel and said sternly, "You two that have to go on, I know it. Not me, not Hermione, you."

The Twins just looked at each other sadly and nodded when they found he was right.

Ron nodded as well and took a deep breath. "Knight to H3." He closed his eyes, and the knight began to move to its destination. When the knight stopped firmly, putting the white king in danger, Ron muttered, "Check." And watched the Queen carefully.

Immediately, the queen began turning so she was facing the knight. She began to move towards Ron and drew her sword at the same time. When she came face to face with the knight and Ron, she stopped, drew the sword back and thrust it into the horse's stomach, making the cracked marble crumble and smash onto the floor, Ron under some of the rubble.

Hermione began to walk foreword to get Ron free from under the remains, but Harry saw this a yelled, "NO! Don't move! Don't forget, were still playing!"

Hermione looked at Ron once more before nodding and regaining her original stance.

Harry saw his chance and he took it. He began walking towards the unprotected king and stopped when the king was at an angle from him. As the pawn behind him was protecting him, and the king had nowhere else to go, Harry said laud and clear, "Checkmate!"

The king let his sword fall to the floor with a clatter. The door behind the King gave a satisfying click and the three remaining children ran to Ron and got the marble off of him. He was still alive, but barely.

"Take Ron to the Hospital Wing, then go to the Owlery and use Hedwig to take a message to Dumbledore. Ron's right. We have to go on." Harry said as he looked at Rachel and Hermione.

"You'll be okay, you know? Both of you. You're great wizards, you really are."

Harry began to blush a little and replied, "Not as good as you."

"_Are you flirting with her?" _Rachel asked uncomfortably, and watched as Harry's cheeks were getting noticeably red.

"Me? Books and cleverness is me. There are more important thing. Friendship and Bravery. Be careful, alright?" Hermione replied with a smile.

The Twins nodded and got up. They went to the door and pushed it open, revealing a cold, long room inside.

**_A.N: Wooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooow... I am so sorry about the long wait, guys. I have been so busy the past couple of months. I have my exams, got my results coming later on in the month (I got a strong feeling that I failed most of them), my birthday came and went, I got accepted to be in the local pool team, I've been on holiday and my best friend ended up in hospital... again -_- So we can shorten this down and say that I am back :) Not entirely happy with this chapter, but I kinda wanted to get it over and done with._**


	16. Voldemort

_**Voldemort**_

The door, unexpectedly, shut firmly behind them. Rachel tried to pry it open again, but failed. _"I really don't like this."_

Harry nodded his head in agreement, but nevertheless continued to walk down the grey stone steps.

After a little while of walking, a figure began to appear, and the Twins scar began to burn again.

_Snape. _Harry thought. He continued to walk until the figure got into view, but stopped dead in his tracks when he saw that… it wasn't Snape?

No, the figure was shorter than Snape. Instead of a black robe, he wore a purple one, as well as a purple turban… This was Professor Quirrell.

"No. It can't be. Snape was meant to be down here." Harry said to Quirrell.

The professor turned with a strange smile on his face and replied, "Yes. Does seem the type, doesn't he? But next to him, who would suspect p-p-poor st-stuttering professor Quirrell?"

Rachel was just as shocked as Harry. They couldn't believe they'd got it wrong… some of it anyway.

"So it was you? The troll on Halloween?" Harry asked. Soon it became clear to him. It was Quirrell who let the troll in, it was him who was working for Voldemort, not Snape.

"Very good, Potter, yes. While everyone was running around in the dungeon I went to the third floor. Snape wasn't fooled, however. He went straight to the third floor to head me off." Quirrell said, quietly cursing himself for his recklessness. "He, obviously, didn't trust me again. Followed me everywhere, kept a close watch on me, I was never left alone. But he doesn't understand… I'm never alone..." He trailed of in his train of thought.

Quirrell then turned his attention back to what he was doing before the Twins arrived.

They didn't see it when they came in, but they saw it clearly now. The Mirror of Erised stood tall and proud in front of Quirrell, who was staring hungrily into it. "I see it. I see myself giving the stone to my Master… but how do I get it?"

A few moments passed before the whole room echoed _Use the boy, the boy…_

The both of them looked at each other and then back at Quirrell when he turned and said, "Yes. Come here, Potter. You," He pointed at Rachel. "Stay put."

He went hesitantly at first, but then thought that it was the only way to keep the stone away from Voldemort if they got it first. This is what he wanted most now, to keep Voldemort from returning to power.

He stood in front of the Mirror and saw his own reflection, but the Mirror Harry was smiling. He put his hand in his right pocket and withdrew it, revealing in his hand a blood red stone. This, Harry saw, was the Philosopher's stone. The Mirror Harry winked and began to put his hand back in his right pocket. But as his hand disappeared from sight, something heavy and solid plopped into his pocket.

Harry's heart began to race as he realized that he, somehow, had gotten the Philosopher's stone. He'd got it in his pocket, but he didn't dare move, smile or let his expression change as one of Voldemort's servants was stood right next to him. He did, however, gasp a little, which did attract Quirrell's attention.

"What? What is it, what do you see?" Quirrell demanded.

Very distantly, he could hear Rachel yell something, but couldn't quite hear her.

"I'm… I'm shaking hands with Dumbledore, I have the House cup in my hands-"

"TELL THE TRUTH! What do you see?!" Quirrell bellowed, making both children jump.

_Let me speak to him… _Said the voice again.

"But Master, you're not strong enough." Quirrell said in a gentle voice.

_I have strength enough for this…_

"As you wish." Quirrell said. He turned around so he was facing the Mirror, and began unwrapping his turban.

Half way unwrapping, both scars began to burn again.

"_Harry! I can't breath!" _Rachel said. Harry turned to see his sister on the floor, her hand on her chest.

Before he could help her, a voice coming from Quirrell's direction said in a cracked way, "Harry Potter! We meet again."

Harry turned again to see that Quirrell's turban was now on the floor. He was still facing the Mirror, but he was looking at a face, an injured, pale and disturbing face. The voice seemed too familiar, he knew it from somewhere.

"Yes… you see what I have become? See what I must do to survive? Live off another, and be a parasite!" Voldemort spat. "Unicorn blood can sustain me, but it cannot give me a body of my own."

_So it was Quirrell who was drinking from the Unicorn? _Harry thought, disgusted.

"But," Voldemort continued, "There is something that can. Something conveniently enough lies in your pocket!"

Harry, who's heart began to race again, shot up the stairs, but when he looked at his sister, gasping and struggling for breathe, he couldn't go any further, he wasn't going to leave her, but what about the stone? Voldemort wasn't going to get that either.

Quirrell clicked his fingers, and Harry felt the heat of fire burst up in front of him. All round them was fire, preventing him from going anywhere anyway, he, and Rachel, were trapped.

"Don't be a fool. Why suffer the living death, when you can join me, and live?" Voldemort offered but was met with, "Never!"

Voldemort chuckled a little and said, "Bravery! Your parents had it too." A few moments passed before he continued, "Tell me, Harry. Would you like to see them again?"

Just that thought brought his previous desire rushing back to him. He saw him and Rachel standing side by side in the Mirror, and behind them, when their Mother and Father.

His hope and joy overtook his judgement, and Harry's hand went into his pocket and back out, revealing the stone.

"That's right, Harry. There is no good or evil, only power, and those to weak to seek it. Together, we'll do extraordinary things! All that I ask is for something in return. Give me the stone."

Harry was seriously considering it, a chance to see them again. He stared into the Mirror, but his parents were looking back at him, sadly, as did Rachel. What had made them so unhappy?

Harry shook his head and saw them disappear. Like a spell had just been taken off him, he realized that would never happen. Voldemort would never bring them back, and his parents would be ashamed, seeing their son join the man that killed them.

He shook his head again, watched as the figures in the Mirror disappear and yelled, "You liar!"

Voldemort, angry that his plan had failed, ordered, "Get the stone! Seize him!"

Quirrell did as he was told and launched himself towards Harry and grabbed him around the throat. He knocked Harry to the ground and the stone bounced out of Harry's hand and a few steps away.

"GET THE STONE, YOU IDIOT!" Voldemort bellowed.

Before Harry could die so Quirrell could get the stone, he felt a pair of hands clasp around his own throat and throw him off Harry. Quirrell turned he see Rachel, practically purple, and smacked her to the ground. Rachel head bounced off the floor, knocking her out.

Quirrell then felt a burning around his throat, like it was decomposing. He felt his throat and saw that it had become rough, cracked. It was breaking away in his very hands.

"W… What is this magic?" He asked in a very saw voice.

"Get the stone!" Voldemort repeated. Quirrell looked around and saw it, only a few feet away. He started for the stone, for felt another pair of hands burn his face. Harry grabbed Quirrell's face and pushed him into the wall.

Before Quirrell could say anything, his face began to crumble. He took a step towards Harry, but the cracking had spread to his entire body, making him fall to the ground in his remains; dust and sand.

Harry turned and grabbed the Philosopher's stone and ran down the stairs towards the puddle of blood coming from Rachel.

Before he could make it all the way, he felt a chill go straight through him. He turned to see a shadowy figure run towards him. The figure ran through him, making Harry fall to the floor, and fled up the stairs through the fire.

Harry felt himself quickly slipping away. He saw the stone in his hand, ready to fall, and Rachel on the floor, the puddle around her growing bigger and bigger with each passing second. The smell of blood engulfed him, sending him more and more into unconsciousness.

Harry woke up with a headache at first, but soon the sweet aroma of chocolate brushed that to one side. He opened his eyes to see a white room, a white blurry room.

He looked to his side to see his round spectacles and put them on, noticing his left hand was bandaged. He put his glasses on and saw he was in the Hospital Wing. In front of him, was dozens and dozens of chocolate boxes and get well soon cards to him and Rachel-

Rachel!

Harry looked around quickly, searching for her. He stopped and saw that she lay sleeping soundly in the bed to his right. Her head was bandaged and a little bloody, but at least she was breathing. Slowly, the events of Voldemort, Quirrell and the stone came back to him, but his thoughts were disrupted by a voice.

"Good afternoon, Harry." Said the voice of Dumbledore.

Harry looked towards the door and saw the kind old man walking towards him. He stopped behind the gifts and packages and gestured to them. "Tokens, from your admirers."

"Admirers?" Harry asked. Last time he checked, nearly the whole school hated him because he lost all those points for Gryffindor.

"What happened down in the dungeon between you, Rachel and Professor Quirrell, is a complete secret. So, naturally, the whole school knows."

Harry gave a small chuckle and then looked over to his right, viewing his sister with pity. He had known Rachel to be a lot of things. Lazy, cocky, a thief from time to time, but she always had a smile on her face. She didn't belong in a hospital bed.

"Is she going to be alright?" Harry asked as he looked back to Dumbledore.

"Yes. Madam Pomfrey has informed me that she may struggle to breath for a short time, and get dizzy, but other than that, she's fine."

Dumbledore got lost in his own thought as Harry continued to stare at his sibling.

"How long have we been here?" Harry asked.

"Oh… about three days now. Your friends Mister Weasley and Miss Granger will be pleased to know you're awake."

"They were here? How are they? Were they alright?"

"Relax please, Harry. Madam Pomfrey will have me thrown out. Your friends are fine, a little bandaged, but fine nevertheless."

"And the stone?"

"Destroyed." Dumbledore said glumly.

"But what about Nicolas Flamel?"

"Ah, so you know about Nicolas? Not to worry. He has enough Elixir to put his affairs in order. But, eventually, he will die."

Harry nodded, then even more questions came to his head.

"Sir? Can he come back? Voldemort, I mean, with the stone gone?"

Dumbledore looked at Harry hesitantly and then said, "Yes. There are many ways in which he can return, each different from the next. He's probably out there now, looking for another body to take."

Again, Harry nodded, and again, another question formed on his lips. "When we were down there, in the dungeon, we did something, me and Rachel. She touched him and he started to… dissolve? No… crumble. And it happened with me as well. What was that?"

"Ah. I've been waiting for you to ask that. Now, where to start? Firstly, I think, is at the beginning. I don't suppose you remember much about the night Voldemort gave you that scar?"

"No, but Rachel does, though."

"Yes. Well, then she would remember your Mother, casting herself between you two and Voldemort. Your Mother gave her life so you two could live. That type of act leaves a mark."

From habit, Harry went to touch his scar, but Dumbledore stopped him. "No. No, this type of mark cannot be seen, but felt and cherished."

"What is it?" Harry asked.

"Love. Something that Voldemort has never felt, and is the reason Quirrell died. Voldemort didn't understand it, nor did he like it, so it began to turn into a sort of shield that protected you and Rachel from him."

Harry let the information sink, and then realised he was wrong the whole time. It wasn't Snape at all. He still hated him, but that hate didn't cover the guilt.

"I thought it was Sna- Professor Snape." Harry said.

"Professor Snape? What do you mean?"

"Well, at the Quidditch game, Hermione said she saw Professor Snape cursing my broom. On top of that, he always seemed to hate me and Rachel… well, me mostly."

"Oh, don't think that he doesn't. He does hate you, but its more towards your Father. They went to school together and had the same rivalry you have yourself with Mr Malfoy. And he wasn't trying to kill you, he was trying to save you. Counter cursing the jinx Quirrell was casting."

"But if he hates me, why did he do that?" Harry asked, completely confused now.

"Because your father saved his life." Dumbledore replied and seeing Harry's mouth drop open, continued, "Severus couldn't bare being in your Fathers dept, so kept him eye on you for this year as a way of saying 'we're even now'. He can now go on to hate your Fathers memory in peace. And as for the second part, I suppose you could say he favours Rachel a bit more then you because she looks like you Mother. They were friends during their time at Hogwarts."

Dumbledore, thinking it was a good time to change the subject, stood and made his way to the stacks of sweets.

"Ah! Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans. I was most unfortunate in my youth to gone across a vomit flavoured one. Ever since, I've lost my liking for them. Maybe, it would be safe, with a nice toffee, perhaps." Dumbledore put his hand into the box and brought out a browny orange bean. He stuck it in his mouth and began to chew. "Alas." He swallowed the bean and ended with a smile, "Earwax."


	17. The End of Year Feast

_**The End of Year Feast and Leaving Hogwarts**_

Rachel had her hands over her ears as she laid her forehead of the wooden Gryffindor table.

"If you don't feel good, go back to the Hospital Wing." Harry said sitting opposite his sister with Hermione while Rachel sat with Ron.

"_No… I'm not missing our first end of year feast, I'm not." _Rachel insisted, trying her best to block out the noise of her classmate.

Her bandage had been taken off, but her head was still killing her.

After a few minutes of eating, shouting and celebrating, Professor McGonagall stood and called, "Your attention, please!"

The Great hall went quiet and Professor Dumbledore stood up tall. "Another year has gone. And now, as I understand it, the House Cup needs awarding, and the points stand thus.

"In forth place, Gryffindor, with 312 points." The students and teachers clapped quietly for the House, Harry, Ron and Hermione cursing themselves for losing 150 points for their House.

"In third place, Hufflepuff, with 352 points." Again, the Great Hall clapped fairly for the House.

"In second place, Ravenclaw, with 426 points." A few whoops and cheers were heard from the Ravenclaw House as the students clapped a little more enthusiastically for them.

"_Oh great." _Rachel said as she predicted the outcome.

"And in first place, with 472 points, Slytherin House." The Slytherin table began shouting 'YES' and 'WE WON', while banging the table and kicking their feet. Malfoy even went as far to throw dirty looks over at the four on the Gryffindor table.

Snape was clapping fiercely for his House and McGonagall was clapping glumly. When the noise finally came down, Dumbledore continued.

"Yes, yes, well done, Slytherin. However, recent events must be taken into account, and I have a few last minute points to award."

Everyone in the Great hall became interested at this point. There was a chance Slytherin wouldn't win this year. I mean, a few extra points to the already winning House? Who cares, right?

"First, To Miss Hermione Granger, for the cool use of intellect while others were in grave peril… 50 points."

Hermione began blushing madly when everyone started clapping for her. She received several claps on the back. She was a little embarrassed, but incredibly happy at the same time. She had gotten her House to third place, so not all was lost.

"Second, To Mr Ronald Weasley, for the best played game of chess that Hogwarts has seen these many years… 50 points."

This time, it was Ron's turn to blush. His ears went bright red and he kept on asking himself 'Me?' while Percy was shouting 'My Brother! My Brother got passed McGonagall's Transfigured chess set!'

"Third, to Mr and Miss Potter, for pure nerve and outstanding courage… 60 points."

Both of them began to smile like the other two, mainly at the look on Malfoy's face.

"_Who do you think got the 10 points?" _Rachel asked over the noise.

"_Maybe 30 each?"_

Rachel thought about this and was about to reply, but thought best not to.

Hermione, although, wasn't clapping, she had a serious look and then smirked, leaned over the table and said, "We're tied with Slytherin!"

Their hearts went sky high when Dumbledore added, "And finally, it takes a great deal of courage and bravery to stand up to your enemies, but a great deal more to stand up to your friends. I award 10 points to Neville Longbottom."

The eruption from the Great hall was nearly deafening. From the three tables Gryffindor, Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw were many claps and cheers, knowing that they beat Slytherin for once.

After the cheering settled down, Dumbledore spoke again and said, "Assuming that my calculations are correct, I believe that a change in decoration is in order." He clapped his hands, letting and echo run through the Hall. The green drapes and curtains that represented Slytherin that hung above each of the four tables moved as if a strong wind was blowing on them. From the top, the colour began to change. Instead of the Green and Silver colours, there were Scarlet Red and Gold, representing Gryffindor.

"Gryffindor wins the House Cup." Dumbledore ended clearly.

All the tables stood up and clapped, besides the Slytherin table who were still wondering how they had gotten from first place to second place within minutes.

People from the tables were coming up and giving the five children pats on the back, ruffling their hair and shaking their hands. This celebration went on for hours into the night until Dumbledore told the Prefects to round up the younger pupils to get them to bed.

When they went to bed, Harry and Rachel stayed up the entire night, talking about how much they would miss this place, how much going back to the Dursley's was going to suck, and how much they would miss Ron and Hermione.

But still, morning came and everyone got up, dressed in their normal clothes and looked at each other glumly. None of the first years wanted to leave. They wanted to see their families, but that's the real reason the Potter Twins didn't want to leave. This was their home. The Gryffindor House was their family, heck, the whole of Hogwarts, mostly.

The group met up in the Common Room and quietly went down to the Great Hall for breakfast, where many of the other students were quiet as well, except for the seventh years, who were leaving Hogwarts. Their academic years had come and gone, and now they would leave.

The more Rachel thought about it, the more she thought that it was difficult for them, but also nice. Going to Hogwarts was an adventure for her and Harry, a new chapter had opened in their lives, it was the same for leaving Hogwarts. Going out into the real wizarding world was an adventure too, an adventure she couldn't wait to have.

Soon, the Headmaster wished the students a Happy Summer and sent them all off. All the students were put into carriages, which began to travel to Hogsmeade, where the Hogwarts Express was.

They all got out of their carriages, grabbed their trunks and put them aboard on the train. Just before the group was about to jump into the train, Rachel said, _"Harry, Hagrid."_

He looked back at her and then she motioned towards the Hogsmeade entrance. Hagrid stood there with a small smile as he watched them about to get on the train.

"You coming?" Hermione asked.

"One minute." Harry said. He and Rachel began weaving in and out of pupils and headed towards the entrance. They stopped in front of Hagrid, but Harry seemed lost for words. He honestly didn't know what to say. This brilliant man had come from literally out of nowhere and given them their Hogwarts letters. He'd saved them from the Dursley's and let them into this wonderful world full of witches and wizards, magic, mythical creatures. He'd let them know that they were actually loved and respected by nearly everyone in the wizarding community. How are you supposed to simple say 'thank you' and 'goodbye' after that?

Thankfully, Hagrid did it for them. "Thought you were leavin' without sayin' goo'bye, did yer?"

Hagrid slipped his giant hands into his giant pocket and took out a leather book and handed it to Harry. "This is fer the pair of yer."

Harry flipped the first page open, revealing a photograph. The photo showed a man and a woman, both holding children with pitch black hair.

Rachel immediately went in and gave Hagrid a hug, and Harry soon followed.

Before he could get teary, Hagrid said, "Go on, im with yer now." He shooed them off, but pulled them back for a second. "An' if that cousin of yers gives yer any trouble, you could always threaten him with a nice pair of ears ter go with tha' tail of his."

Forgetting that they didn't tell Hagrid about Dudley having the tail removed, Harry said, "But were not allowed to use magic away from Hogwarts, you know that."

"Yea', I do, but yer cousin don' do 'e?"

Earning and wicked smile from Rachel, they both had a final hug and went back to the train where Ron and Hermione were waiting for them.

"Seems a bit strange goin' home, dun it?" Ron said.

"Nah. We're not going home." Harry said as he looked at Rachel, who shook her head. "Not really."

The train gave a whistle and they all got on board, hands waving to the gamekeeper as the train took off and out of the station. The four sat down in a compartment with Fred and George and their friend, Lee Jordan, where they played exploding snap the rest of the way to Kings Cross.

They got their trunks and as soon as they passed through the gate from Platform 9 and ¾ to the Kings cross station, they heard a girls voice squeal, "I knew it! I knew I saw them!"

The voice belonged to Ron's younger sister, Ginny. She tugged on her mothers coat as she pointed at the Twins, to with her mother told her to stop pointing, as it wasn't polite.

"Thank you very much for the jumpers Mrs. Weasley, and the sweets."

"Oh, not a problem, dears. I do hope you enjoy your sum-"

"Ready to leave?"

"_And so hell begins as of now." _Rachel said as she turned to see their Uncle Vernon looking down on them.

"Just a minute." Harry said. He walked over to Ron and Hermione and hugged Hermione first while Rachel hugged Ron.

"You will write, wont you?" Hermione said as she looked suspiciously at Vernon.

"'Course we will." Harry said as he let go and switched with Rachel. "Every week."

"See you later, then. Oh! And you have to come and stay with us at some point!" Ron said.

"We will." Harry replied. They watched the Weasley and Granger family walk off and then sighed, walking slowly back to the Muggle world, towards Uncle Vernon's car. They put their trunks in the boot and Rachel got in first besides Dudley and he shifted for to the window so they weren't touching. Harry then got in next to her and shut the door. The car then took off and left the station, Harry and Rachel staring hungrily after it.

"_It's not all bad I guess. I mean, think how good it's gunna feel when it hits September first again. Coming back is probably gunna be one of the best things about Hogwarts." _Rachel said.

"_Yeah. And this summer's gunna be excellent as well." _Harry started. Rachel gave him a confused look and he added,_ "They don't know were not meant to use magic."_

**A.N: Well, this was fun **** What made it even better was that I was listening to 'Leaving Hogwarts' while writing this, makes it soooo much better. Anyways, within the next two weeks, I will be posting the first chapter of 'Chamber of Secrets'. I'll do an update on this story so you don't have to keep your eyes peeled. Till next time **


	18. Chamber of Secrets

The Potter Twins and the Chamber of Secrets is now up and running :)

s/9646442/1/The-Potter-Twins-and-the-Chamber-of-Se crets


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